Mom reveals clever kitchen routine that gives empty jars a second life: 'It saves me money'

In an effort to avoid single-use plastic containers at the grocery store, selecting items in glass jars might be preferable.

But before you know it, you'll have dozens of glass jars at your disposal, cluttering up cupboards and shelves — unless you send them for recycling, of course.

@abbychuelas.kitchen If there's one thing my momma taught me (among many more) it's to reuse and recycle. Not only does it save the earth, but it saves me money not having to buy mason jars and aesthetic glass jars at the store when I already have jars from condiments, sauces and such. I give it a good wash then use the Goo Gone remover spray to remove the labels! Some of the things I buy come in plastic so I like to transfer them to glass jars for better storage. . . . #reuse #recycle #jars #reminder #kitchentips #gogreen #kitchenhacks #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound - blipstudio

One TikToker demonstrated the various ways you can put these vessels to good use and save money in the process.

The scoop

Abigail (@abbychuelas.kitchen) said her mother taught her to reuse and recycle when possible.

That's why she keeps the glass jars that jams, sauces, and other kitchen essentials come in.

Now, Abigail doesn't have to spend money on new vessels when she needs them for storage. She uses these glass jars to keep herbs and vegetables fresh, pickle onions, store spice mixes, and more.

She even transfers some of the things she buys in plastic to glass jars for better storage.

"Not only does it save the earth, but it saves me money not having to buy mason jars and aesthetic glass jars at the store when I already have jars from condiments, sauces and such," she said in her video's caption.

How it's helping

While glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle and can be recycled infinitely, doing so requires energy.

Reusing a glass jar skips this step, preventing the unnecessary release of planet-warming pollution to create the material from scratch.

What would you think if someone gifted you a repurposed food jar? I would love it! 🥰 Depends on what it's repurposed into 🤔 I would appreciate the thought 🙂 No thanks! 😒 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What's more, by taking advantage of items you have at home, you can save money instead of buying something new when you need a storage jar, a plant propagation receptacle, or a quirky drinking vessel.

If your cupboards are full of old jars, there should be plenty of ways to recycle them locally.

According to a study published in the Resources, Conservation, and Recycling journal, 1 ton of recycled glass saves 0.12 barrels of oil (19 liters), 42 kilowatt-hours of electricity, 3.4 kilograms of pollutants from being released, and 1.5 cubic meters of landfill space. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters were similarly enthusiastic about saving glass jars, with one saying: "Yes! Reduce, reuse, recycle."

Another provided their own tip to make glass jar recycling fit their lifestyle: "If you want them to match paint the lids the same color."

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