Tea waste was turned into a valuable product by a fungus called Trametes versicolor in a special fermentation process. The fungus produced a substance called laccase, which can break down certain parts of the tea waste. The researchers found that by optimizing the conditions, they could increase laccase production by four times. The fermented tea waste with laccase was then used to remove color from a dye called malachite green, with a success rate of over 95% in just two hours. This method could be a cost-effective way to produce laccase and help clean up dyes in the environment.