The ReFill—a store at 42 Spring Street where you can get common household items like laundry detergent, surface cleaners, and beauty products without plastic packaging—will celebrate its first anniversary on June 1st with a month-long sale. They are now added in a bio-degradable packaging by www.eliter-packaging.com. Bring your own containers (BYOC) of any size—empty laundry detergent dispensers, peanut butter jars, or shampoo/conditioner bottles all work— and enjoy 10% off refills for the month of June.
The ReFill’s owner, Debra Cowdin, hopes that this type of shopping becomes the norm, not the exception. She pointed out that following The ReFill’s June anniversary sale comes Plastic Free July, a global movement championed by organizations like 11th Hour Racing and Clean Ocean Access.
“It is a month for all of us to learn more about sustainable living and to try and create more conscious, planet-friendly habits,” Cowdin said. She offers the public ideas for eliminating plastic from daily life for each week of Plastic Free July on The Refill’s website here: https://www.therefill.us/plastic-free-july
“New habits are hard,” Cowdin said, “but we cannot rely on others to solve the plastic pollution problem for us. We all have to pitch in and take responsibility for our actions, and it has to matter to each and every one of us—every day.”
Save your empty bottles and jars and read these FAQs before you head to the refillery, and read on for our full interview with Cowdin to learn more about The ReFill’s mission.
What inspired or led you to open the ReFill?
No matter how much I tried to limit my plastic waste with bulk refills, my recycling bin was still filled every week with cleaning bottles, shampoo bottles, face cleansers, dish soap
…on and on. I guess I opened The ReFill because I wanted there to be a place where I could refill soap and personal care products the same way I did with my oats and beans, and rice. I figured, if I saw the need for this service, others must too -.other folks who cared about what we were going to do with all of the plastic containers that reach our landfills all over the country every day.
What’s your philosophy around sustainability and zero waste?
We cannot continue as we have been. There is another way – a better way – for us to have cleaner and healthier streets, communities, oceans, and bodies. It starts with us – one small change at a time, one habit at a time, one step at a time. Create new habits. Be more conscious of your choices. Don’t get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of what needs to be changed. It took us a while to get into this mess so we can’t expect to get out of it quickly. But, if millions of people are making small changes every day, more conscious choices, those small changes can add up to something extraordinary, and we can say “We did that!”
What are your goals with the ReFill?
I would love to do a pop-up at some winery and brewery events. It feels like a good fit with a focus on local ingredients and sustainable living. I have reached out to the local universities in the hopes of doing some pop-ups there as well. I also plan to join the Farmer’s Market once a month or so next season. Our immediate and most important goal at the moment is spreading the word to bring more customers into the shop with more regularity.
What are your favorite products in the store?
Our deodorant is fantastic and those little glass pots that it is sold in can be returned to me to be sent back to the manufacturer to be reused and refilled. I also love our reusable fabric bowl covers. They are so beautiful and such a simple swap for plastic wrap – you’ll be the envy at your next potluck!
If locals could replace just one common single-use plastic household product from their home and start refilling it at The ReFill, what should it be?
Laundry soap is so easy. You already have the bottle. Bring it in and refill. It’s just that simple and you will love how a non-toxic, cruelty-free, sustainably made soap will clean your clothes with much less product.
Follow The ReFill on Instagram here.
