Mason jars have been around for more than a century for good reason. They’re affordable, simple, easy to find and easier to use. Here’s our favorite ways to save plastic with the humble glass jar.

Strawberry jam in January is a modern miracle. So too is warm tomato soup in February. You can thank John Landis Mason for his part in these cold-month treats. In the late 1800s he invented the heat-resistant glass jars that still bear his name.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Mason jars were already everywhere—an invention allowing families to preserve and store their summer harvests. Even after mass-produced food became cheaper and available all year, lean times would send families back to the jar to preserve, pickle, cure, and freeze. 

Sustainable, affordable and accessible

And here we are firmly in the 21st century, the Mason jar still making life easier. And while you may not pickle or preserve, these jars are still modern miracles—mostly because they are wildly versatile and very affordable. You can buy a case of 12 jars for less than $20, depending on the size you want. 

One of the key principles of sustainable swaps is affordability. Eco-friendly and green products can be expensive, which means most people can’t afford them and therefore they can’t go far enough to get plastic out of our lives. 

True sustainability is community-wide. That means it has to be affordable and accessible for all. That is ultimately what makes Mason jars such a heavy weight. They are cheap and have options for the lid to meet most accessibility needs. 

And less plastic doesn’t necessarily mean zero plastic. Glass jars have substitute plastic lids that can make it easier for some to open and close the jar—and you can even buy lid inserts to turn the jar into a sippable cup.

Our favorite simple ways to use Mason jars—no pickling involved

Don’t get us wrong, we are here for preserving, pickling and freezing your summer bounty. We’re even planning a blog about it. For today, we want to highlight the easy stuff. 

So, here are our favorite easy ways to use Mason jars to reduce household plastic.

• Store leftovers. Use the 16oz wide mouth jars to store leftovers for one in the fridge. Or grab a 32oz size if you’re making soup, stew, or curry to eat during the week. 

• Sip on the go. This was a revelation to me. After one too many trips to the local coffee shop without a reusable cup, I grabbed a mason jar on a whim and the barista was happy to fill it with cold brew for me! If you’re really next level, you can even put your restaurant leftovers in a jar. 

• Buy from the bulk bin. If you ever study your trashcan, you might notice that a bunch of plastic waste is thin packaging from dry goods like rice, sugar, dried beans, and pasta. Since you can buy these in the bulk aisle, you can fill up Mason jars in the store. Most stores with bulk sections are happy to let you do this. Mason jars come in standard weights, so it’s typically easy to know how much to charge. Talk to the store manager before you go to get the scoop on BYO jars.   

• Store absolutely anything. That stuff you bought from the bulk section? You can just leave them in the jar for storage. And really you can store anything  I’ve currently got my office supplies in small mason jars and a few jars here and there for game pieces, spare buttons, and dog treats. 

What are your favorite ways to use Mason jars? Tag us over on Instagram: @coffeesock