<p>Tea waste, typically used as animal feed or fertilizer and containing protein, phenolic compounds, and cellulose, is a by-product in large quantities from the tea industry. This study aimed to develop edible films by producing and characterizing sodium alginate films enriched with green tea and tea waste extracts. For this purpose, sodium alginate films containing different ratios (1, 2, 3, and 4%) of green tea and tea waste extracts were prepared, and their characterization, bioactive properties, and effects on microbial shelf life were investigated. Characterization studies on the film samples included analyses of film thickness, contact angle, moisture content and dry matter density, water vapor permeability, tensile strength, elongation coefficient, antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS), FT-IR, SEM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), biodegradability, and antimicrobial activity. The analyses showed that the films had a hydrophilic character and increased biodegradability in soil, related to the amount of green tea and tea waste additives. It was determined that the extracts were not homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix, and increasing extract concentration decreased the tensile strength of the films. Antioxidant analysis results indicated that the ABTS antioxidant capacities ranged from 79.98 to 733.89 µmol TE/mg film, and DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be between 9.91% and 50.84%. The total phenolic content ranged from 19.93 to 113.88&#xa0;mg GAE/100&#xa0;g film. It was determined that edible films enriched with green tea and tea waste showed notable antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.</p>