Waste not, want not. In a consumer society we sometimes forget that not everything is one-use & disposable. The Japanese saying Mottainai! (what a waste!) is exclaimed to highlight regretful waste. Once brewed, used tea leaves can be kept to one side & dried ready for a whole host of secondary uses. Porter Hill dip their toe into zero waste life & take a look at how many different ways we can re-use our tea leaves!

Beauty Hacks

Dark Circles

If you need to soothe puffy eyes & you’ve got no cucumber then use your tea leaves! Tea tannins are full of anti-inflammatory properties, so are a perfect fix to dark circles around your eyes. Sandwich your used tea leaves in between tissue & lightly soak, place in the fridge for an hour & then apply to our eyes for 10 minutes of bliss!

Bath Soak

If you have a small muslin bag handy or even a large empty teabag on hand, go ahead & fill it with your used tea leaves & a little epsom salt. Bath teabags are a perfect way to unwind for little expense. This aromatic soak will release the antioxidant-rich catechins. Used by the skincare industry, green tea catechins can reduce redness, swelling & irritable skin.

Mouth Wash

While we’re on the green tea hype, you can make up a light green tea infusion as a mouthwash. Cold soak your used leaves into a light brew & use as you would any other mouthwash. Green tea will regulate the bacteria in your mouth & reduce the acidity of dental plaque, leaving your oral health all happy  & fresh.

Exfoliator

If you’ve got 2 minutes, why don’t you try this tea leaf face exfoliator & show your face some love. Combine 1 tablespoon of dried tea leaves with 200g of white sugar, 100ml rapeseed oil & 1 tablespoon of honey until all mixed together. Store in an airtight container & in a dark, cool place. Use 1 tablespoon at a time, washing off after 30 seconds.

Home Hacks

Deodoriser

If you’ve got indoor pets or smelly shoes, dried tea leaves are a tested form of reducing odours. Due to their absorbent properties, tea leaves are great for sprinkling in litter trays or putting in your bin bags.

Heating

As the cost of fuel soars here in the UK, you maybe looking for an alternative source of heat for your home. If you own a wood burning stove & are pretty handy, you can make your own tea dreg briquettes. Research has shown that a mix of tea dregs, rice husks & tapioca glue in briquette form can produce a Calor value of 11,638,112 kj/kg!

Garden Hacks

Compost

Like all fruit & veg scraps, spent coffee grounds & your hooverings, tea leaves are a great addition to your compost bin! Rich in phosphorus, potassium & nitrogen, tea will counterbalance the carbon in your heap, helping you create a great medium for you seedlings to grow!

Fertiliser

If you’re looking to increase the acidity of your soil, give your plants the best chance of flourishing, then putting a layer of used tea leaves on top of the soil is a great idea! Although bottled fertiliser might provide your plants with a quick boost, tea leaves will slowly add their nutrients to the soil over a period of time– perfect for winter waterings!

Plants that will NOT love tea leaf fertiliser

• Baby’s breath

• Boston ivy

• Cacti

• Chrysanthemum

• Dahlia

• Daisies

• Geranium

• Hibiscus

• Pink hydrangeas

• Iris

• Sunflowers

Plants that will love tea leaf fertiliser

• Azalea

• Begonia

• Camelia

• Ferns

• Heather

• Oxalis

• Philodendron

• Poinsettia

• Roses

• Rubber plant

• Spider plants

• Tomatoes

Conclusion

Hopefully that’s enough inspiration for you when it comes to recycling your tea leaves. It’s best to dry them out on a warm windowsill, but in the oven at 50*C will do a comparable job.

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