The to-go coffee cup craze reached new heights with the Stanley and other pricey alternatives, but a TikToker has found a simple way to get your caffeine on the run by repurposing the very container the grounds come in.

The scoop

Brookie (@brookesumm3r) shared a slideshow on TikTok encouraging people to reuse Nescafé jars as to-go coffee cups. 

To convert the jar into a drinking vessel, simply peel off the label, remove the tab from the lid, soak everything in hot soapy water, and scrub off the glue. Then poke a hole in the lid for a straw, add your favorite beverage, screw on the lid, and you're all set.

"Such a good idea," she wrote in the caption.

How it's helping

Many items we buy at the store can be given a second life around the house or, in this case, on the go. By repurposing items like candle jars, pill bottles, and cardboard toilet paper rolls, you can make the most of your original purchase and save money by not buying something new. 

It's also a great way to curb overconsumption. Travel coffee cups and water bottles have become trendy items that people spend hundreds of dollars on and collect in mass quantities, but just as quickly as they become popular, they get tossed for the next hot item. 

All that money adds up, not to mention the wasted resources used in producing the items, only for them to sit in landfills. There, they release planet-warming gases and microplastics, among other hazardous materials, while taking hundreds of years to break down.

And while glass jars like Nescafé's are recyclable, only about one-third get recycled in the United States, according to Chemical & Engineering News. That's due to a number of factors, especially a lack of infrastructure to make it an easy habit to commit to.

What everyone's saying

People in the comments loved Brookie's suggestion to repurpose the old jars.

"You just changed my life," one person wrote. "I always save these glass jars but never know what to do with them."

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.

"People are so clever," said another.

Others offered additional suggestions for repurposing Nescafé and various types of jars, including a holder for bolts and screws, a plant vase, or a spice container.

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