How can you reuse food jars, save money, reduce waste, and make delicious cold brew teas all at the same time?
One Reddit user spills all the tea with this easy trick.
The scoop
Sharing an image of a refrigerator shelf lined with glass jars of yellow-, orange-, and red-colored liquids, a user on Reddit in the r/frugal subreddit explained how they reuse jars for individual, cold-brewed teas.
"I drink them first thing in the morning," wrote the post's author. "Perfect for morning rehydration!"
Replicating their hack is straightforward. The only materials required are glass jars, your favorite tea, and water.
Any glass jar large enough to hold a serving of tea works. The post's author uses old glass mayonnaise jars, but users in the comments who have also tried the hack have used old pasta sauce, salsa, and pickle jars.
After thoroughly cleaning your jars, you're ready to brew tea. You can use loose leaves or tea bags in any type or flavor. However, because these drinks are cold-brewed rather than steeped in hot water, the author recommends fruit and herbal teas.
The length of time it takes to brew your drink depends on the flavor and type, but the author of the post recommended removing the tea leaves or bags after 24 hours to avoid bitterness from oversteeping.
Once you remove the tea leaves or bags, you can immediately enjoy the jars or store them in the fridge for one to two weeks.
How it's helping
Upcycling hacks like this one are perfect for consumers looking to save money and time.
Plus, it can help reduce one's ecological footprint. Upcycling is vital to diminishing the volume of single-use waste in landfills and oceans.
Statistics have shown that approximately 85% of single-use plastics end up in landfills, with less than 10% being recycled. The United Nations Environment Programme reports that globally, around 440 million tons of plastic waste are generated annually, with eight million tons finding their way into our oceans.
Single-use waste can release toxic, long-lasting chemicals into the soil and water. When single-use plastics finally begin to break down, they release minuscule microplastics, permeating land and aquatic ecosystems — even the ocean's greatest depths.
By upcycling, recycling, and embracing reusable alternatives such as bags, water bottles, and utensils, we can significantly diminish plastic pollution and safeguard our planet. Transitioning to reusable water bottles could prevent an average of 156 bottles from entering landfills and oceans, according to Beyond Plastics.
For more information on best recycling practices, check out The Cool Down's guide on recycling.
What everyone's saying
On Reddit, the creative upcycling idea awed and inspired commentators. Some suggested ideas of their own.
"This is a life pro tip," said one user.
"Very pretty! Looks tasty, too," wrote another. "I want to try."
"Nice one!" commented one user, who added: "I would remove the paper attached to the string before submerging the teabag in water. I don't think they add the healthiest chemicals …"
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