When it comes to finding creative second uses for containers, glass pasta sauce jars are one of the most flexible options — especially for people on the go.
The scoop
Thrift enthusiast Rachel (@justrachelv) shared a video explaining her favorite hack for tall pasta sauce jars.
@justrachelv I know a glass jar hates to see me coming #reducereuserecycle #sustainable #reducewaste #coffeetiktok #coffeetok #lowwaste #recycle #sustainableliving ♬ original sound - Rachel
"Marinara jars are the best iced coffee jar," she enthused, pulling a glass jar full of iced coffee from her purse. Not only that, she explained, but "you have your own spill-proof lid." And with the lid on, she demonstrated, "You can … throw this whole thing in your purse. It's the perfect size."
As a final flourish, she pulled out a reusable straw to drink even more easily on the go.
To convert it from a sauce container to a coffee cup, she explained, simply "Use the marinara in the jar, keep the lid and the jar, take the [label] off if you want. Put it in the dishwasher, soak it in hot soapy water."
At the end, "there's no residue, leftover smell, anything."
Commenters agreed. "This is literally my biggest hack," one person enthused. "I make my coffee in the morning, put the lid on and throw it in my purse. This has been a game changer since being a mom!!"
How it's working
Keeping jars and other items out of landfills isn't just convenient — it's incredibly helpful in reducing pollution.
As items pile up in landfills, they create what scientists have labeled "garbage lasagnas," where layers of items slowly degrade for decades at a time. And as they decompose in these dense layers without access to oxygen, the process generates noxious methane gas.
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Not only does methane generate harmful air pollution, endangering the people and animals living near landfills, but it's also more than 80 times more powerful and harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide, according to Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability.
And while tossing a jar or a plastic bottle may seem inconsequential, each additional layer in a landfill contributes to the growing acceleration of the planet's temperatures, which in turn causes everything from extreme droughts to interruptions in the food chain.
What people are saying
Commenters were grateful for the suggestion, sharing their own enthusiasm for repurposing jars. "What?!? Why have I never thought of this?" one person said. "Definitely going to do this now!"
Another said, "Taking my marinara jar out of the recycling bin ASAP! Great idea gal."
Many others shared suggestions of their own.
"I LOVE using marinara jars for iced coffee and salsa jars for yogurt parfaits," one person said.
Another chimed in, "I'm a jam jar cocktail girl — I love this."
For other ideas for repurposing containers and other common items around the home, check out some more ideas, such as turning condiment packets into ice packs, making T-shirts into a quilt, reusing old cribs as artwork frames, and using berry containers as seed starters.
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