So your favorite influencer started posting about how they're using mason jars or other glassware for their drinks?
While glassware can be sustainable, trendy, and cute, it's often expensive. Well, here's something I like to call "balling on a budget."
The scoop
Hodge Mommy (@hodgemommy) posted a simple hack on TikTok, showing how she repurposes pasta sauce jars by removing the labels and using them as glassware. It's perfectly good glass — why throw it away when you can use it again and again?
@hodgemommy when inflation goes up, you re-use everything 🤣 #resuse #recycle #hack #jar #sauce #fyp #foru #momsoftiktok ♬ sonido original - GT.Sebas
She simply rinses and cleans the jars and removes the labels, and voilà: a glass for drinking water. In girl math, it's free.
How it's working
A resident in a town that doesn't recycle glass polled the r/ZeroWaste subreddit for how others reuse glass jars. The suggestions were endless: for meal planning and food storage, to plant pots, as school or work supply containers, and you can even use them for making your own pickles.
As a bonus, by reusing jars you can save money by not having to buy new ones.
While glass jars and bottles can be recycled, they can often end up in landfills if local recycling infrastructure is not sufficient, per VegNews. A 2019 article in Chemical & Engineering News revealed that only one-third of the 11 million tons of glass Americans dispose of gets recycled. The United States' 33% recycling rate for glass is subpar compared to several European countries with 90% rates.
Glass doesn't decompose, so when it ends up in landfills, it can take up needed space for non-recyclables. Additionally, glass that is produced from recycled glass materials can reduce carbon dioxide pollution.
What people are saying
Many in the comments of the TikTok post were familiar with upcycling glass food jars.
🗣️ What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste?
🔘 Not buying food I don't need 🧐
🔘 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊
🔘 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲
🔘 Composting my food scraps 🌱
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does this," one user wrote.
"I thought this was common knowledge," another commenter said. "That's ALL we drank from growing up."
Someone else noted, "Pickle jars are best for iced coffee."
Whether you're looking to add to your zero-waste arsenal or are simply on a budget and need some new cups in your kitchen, reusing glass jars can be a big help for the environment and your wallet. Check out another hack to easily remove glass jar labels.
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