After steeping, you need to dump the used leaves (assuming you aren't planning to re-steep) with more potential for spillage than when disposing a tea bag, then take the strainer to the sink, add a tiny drop of dish soap, rinse the strainer, and find a place to dry it (e.g. over an empty jar).

It's not difficult, and the extra steps are personally worth it as loose leaf tea generally tastes better. However, for people who aren't concerned about the taste difference, it's nice to have one less task (where spillage is a concern) to pay attention to.

> You need to take a spoon (extra tool), scoop out the loose leaf tea from the container

I tilt the container and use the Earth's gravity to get them leaves out. I'm not afraid to use my fingers when no one's watching! With puerh it's more of a fight, I'm not afraid to use whatever's at my disposal to pry the leaves out the cake.

> you need to dump the used leaves [...] with more potential for spillage than when disposing a tea bag

Yes but it's more ecological - the leaves can be composted while the tea bag can't.

> (assuming you aren't planning to re-steep)

I definitely am planning to re-steep. With puerh, I'm even going as far as disposing of the first two steeps. I'm too fancy to drink them!

> then take the strainer to the sink, add a tiny drop of dish soap, rinse the strainer, and find a place to dry it

The gaiwan goes inside the dishwasher like everything else.

That depends on the tea bag. Some can't, some can:

https://teahow.com/can-tea-bags-be-composted/

The store-brand tea bags I buy for iced tea recently got redesigned to remove their staple. I assume that was to make them compostable, although I should double check.