“I Will Never Throw Them Away”: Woman Repurposes Douwe Egberts Containers Into Stylish Storage Jars

• A woman shared a creative video showing how she transforms empty jars into beautiful storage containers
• The innovative recycling method helps reduce household waste while creating sophisticated-looking kitchen storage
• Social media users praised the creative repurposing idea, with many sharing their clever ways of reusing quality glass containers

A woman from Secunda has captured hearts online with her ingenious method of repurposing empty Douwe Egberts coffee jars into stylish kitchen storage containers.

Content creator @bianca.ruiters.2025, who works at Syferfontein Underground Coal Mine and regularly shares personal videos and food content, posted the transformation video in early July with the caption:

"The quality of these bottles will never allow me to throw them away. What do you do with your used empty coffee containers? Cos' I decided to do this. What do you think?"

The detailed video shows her step-by-step process, beginning with thoroughly washing the glass containers and carefully removing all labels. She then soaks them in soapy water, rinses them clean, and leaves them to dry completely. Once dry, she shows off three pristine jars with their lids and moisture-protecting rubber seals intact.

The transformation continues as she applies stick-on labels marked "Tea," "Coffee," and "Sugar" to each jar. She then adds an elegant touch by tying decorative ribbons around the neck of each container. The final step involves refilling the jars with coffee, sugar, and tea bags and adding cute wooden spoons to the sugar and coffee jars.

The finished product looks incredibly sophisticated and modern, with a chic appearance that would fool anyone into thinking these were expensive store-bought storage containers rather than repurposed coffee jars.

This type of creative reuse helps reduce household waste while extending the life of quality packaging materials. Repurposing glass containers like these prevents them from ending up in landfills and reduces the need to purchase new storage solutions. Glass containers are particularly valuable for food storage as they don't absorb odours or stains and can be easily cleaned and reused multiple times.

Mzansi loves the creative idea

Social media users flooded the comments section with praise and their own creative repurposing ideas:

@landie.janklaasjk gushed:

"I use them for decor at kiddies' parties to put in sweets. Thanks for sharing that wonderful idea."

@liyabona.leeigh.tube wrote:

"These are beautiful 😍😍😭 You just gave me an idea 🫠❤️"

@jeanet.molumo added:

"I love this, let me give it a try ❤️"

@tamlyn.vosloo shared:

"Thank you for this beautiful idea, I've been wanting to buy myself new coffee, tea and sugar canisters."

@rochelle.danze revealed:

"I used mine too for coffee, sugar, and tea bottles"

@veronique.masilo.matibidi commented:

"I love this, I use them for spices."

What is the Douwe Egberts brand

According to Wikipedia, Douwe Egberts is a Dutch coffee brand with a rich history dating back to 1753. The company began when Egbert Douwes established a grocery shop called "De Witte Os" ("The White Ox") in Joure, Netherlands. The brand transferred to his eldest son, Douwe Egberts, in 1780, from whom it adopted its current name.

Today, Douwe Egberts is owned by JDE Peet's, a Dutch global coffee and tea company, and markets its products worldwide, including in South Africa. The brand is known for its tagline "No ordinary jar. No ordinary coffee," which seems fitting given how these jars continue to serve households long after the coffee is finished.

Watch the Facebook reel below:

3 other stories of creative repurposing

• Briefly News recently reported on a woman whose mother's genius transformation of a Ferrero Rocher container had everyone wondering how she comes up with such brilliant ideas for everyday storage problems.
• Cape Town residents took kitchen creativity to another level when they turned a regular stove into something completely unexpected, leaving social media users both impressed and concerned about the innovative approach.
• A KwaZulu-Natal graduate's side hustle involving recyclable materials touched hearts across Mzansi, highlighting how creative reuse can provide additional income during tough economic times.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News