What a Dreg! 8 Ways to Give Used Tea Leaves a Second Life
Waste not, want not. In a world hooked on single-use everything, it’s easy to forget that almost nothing has to be truly disposable. In Japan, there’s a saying: Mottainai!—a little word expressing regret over needless waste.
Here at Porter Hill, we think your tea leaves deserve a bit more respect. Once brewed, those soggy dregs can be dried and pressed back into service in all sorts of clever ways. From skincare to the garden, here are eight ideas to get you started on your zero-waste tea journey.
Beauty Hacks
1. Soothe Puffy Eyes
Got dark circles but no cucumber handy? Tea to the rescue. The tannins in tea have natural anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce puffiness. Just sandwich your used leaves between tissues, lightly dampen, chill them in the fridge for an hour, and pop them over your eyes for 10 minutes of calm.
2. Make a Relaxing Bath Soak
Fill a muslin bag (or a big empty teabag) with your used tea leaves and a handful of Epsom salt. Drop it into a warm bath for an antioxidant-rich soak. Green tea catechins, often found in skincare products, help reduce redness, irritation and swelling—perfect after a long day.
3. Freshen Up with Green Tea Mouthwash
Cold-soak your used green tea leaves to brew a gentle mouthwash. Swish as you would any rinse. Green tea can help balance oral bacteria and reduce plaque acidity—leaving your mouth cleaner and fresher naturally.
4. Exfoliate Your Skin
Treat your face to a quick DIY scrub. Mix 1 tablespoon of dried tea leaves with 200g white sugar, 100ml rapeseed oil and a tablespoon of honey. Store in an airtight jar somewhere cool and dark. To use, massage a spoonful over damp skin and rinse after 30 seconds.
Home Hacks
5. Neutralise Odours
If you’ve got smelly trainers, a whiffy bin or a litter tray, dried tea leaves can help. Thanks to their absorbent properties, sprinkling them in problem spots keeps unwanted odours at bay.
6. DIY Fuel Briquettes
Energy bills climbing? If you’ve got a wood burner (and you’re feeling ambitious), you can make tea briquettes. A blend of tea dregs, rice husks and tapioca starch pressed into blocks creates a surprisingly efficient burn, with a calorific value over 11,000 kJ/kg.
Garden Hacks
7. Enrich Your Compost
Used tea leaves are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—perfect for balancing carbon-heavy compost materials. Sprinkle them into your bin with veg peelings and shredded cardboard to help create nutrient-rich humus for your seedlings.
8. Fertilise Your Plants
Tea leaves can gently boost soil acidity and feed your plants over time. Simply spread a thin layer over the soil and let nature do the rest—ideal for winter feeding.
Final Tip
To keep your tea leaves ready for action, dry them on a sunny windowsill. If you’re in a rush, pop them in the oven on low heat (about 50°C) until crisp.
