Home cook sparks conversation on how to reuse empty food jars: 'They're the perfect size'

Pasta sauce, jam, pickles, and baby foods are typically sold in glass jars, as are several other items. With every grocery store run, these recyclable containers can build up in a household, but this need not be bothersome. Glass jars can be reused in many ways, saving consumers money on household organizational products and kitchen utensils. 

One Redditor found themself overloaded with tiny glass jars left over from a jam advent calendar. They took to r/ZeroWaste to ask for suggestions on how to make new use of the jars. 

"Ideas for mini Bonne Maman jars?" the user asked. "... I'm looking for creative and practical ideas, not just 'store something small inside.'"

They paired their question with a photo of a jam jar that looked to be only a couple of inches. 

For some time, they had used the same type of jar to hold salad dressing for lunches on the go. Because they had so many jars that they did not want to go to waste, the original poster sought other constructive ways to use the jars. 

Reusing glass is important because 7.6 million tons of glass ended up in landfills in 2018 compared to the 3.1 million tons that were recycled. Instead of filling landfills with glass, which can take up to 1 million years to decompose, recycle or reuse glass jars. Recycling and reusing glass lowers energy consumption and decreases heat-trapping gas pollution. 

The comment section was buzzing with suggestions on how to repurpose the glass jars. One person uses jam jars to propagate plants. For larger plants, thrifty gardeners can use recycled candle containers. 

Commenters also suggested using the jars for vitamin storage, loose tea storage, candle making, and holding things such as dish soap or lotion on the go or while camping. 

A person could even use the jars when cooking. "I used to use those to make tiny ravioli, any jar is a great pasta cutter," one commenter advised.

Another said: "I use them to store spices from the bulk store that I only use small amounts of! They're the perfect size." 

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a refillable product? Saving money 💰 Reducing plastic waste 🗑️ Using less shelf space at home 💁‍♀️ Getting easy refill deliveries 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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