What’s A Refillery? Here’s Why You Should Add It To Your Next Shopping Trip
As an Earth-loving gal, I could go on and on about sustainable refilleries, but the fact is, many people haven’t heard of them at all. Refilleries—also known as shops where you can buy products in bulk but use your own packaging—are staples in some cities, but aren’t available everywhere (yet!).
They’re built to help people live more sustainable lives and tend to carry “clean” products, often while also selling goods from other local retailers. I personally buy a range of items at my local refillery: matcha, dish soap, laundry powder, face oil, body scrub, deodorant, and more. If you’re curious, read more about the rise of refilleries and how to start shopping at one yourself.
What Are Refilleries And What Do They Offer?
A refillery is a store that carries items in bulk for you to buy using reusable containers of your own or that you can purchase in store. Many refill shops store their products in large plastic or glass containers with pumps so you can purchase by the ounce. Shopping this way is highly cost effective because bulk items are usually far cheaper than what you’ll find pre-packaged in grocery stores, drugstores, and beauty stores.
Shopping at a refillery is also more sustainable and often zero-waste. By bringing your own container—a cleaned out salsa or pickle jar, an empty shampoo bottle, an up-cycled candle vessel, etc— you avoid purchasing single-use plastic packaging. Many refilleries also sell items that are sustainably packaged in compostable materials or have no packaging at all, like some shampoo bars, soaps, and candles.
While the products offered at a refillery will often differ based on size and location, you can typically count on the basics for beauty and cleaning, including: shampoo, body lotion, hand soap, select herbal and essential oils, toothpaste tabs, toner, all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent, baking soda, and more.
Some popular zero-waste and sustainable brands are carried in popular refilleries as well, like HiBar haircare, Stasher bags, Bathing Culture body wash, Stojo cups, and Last Object.
Why Do Refilleries Exist?
Refilleries are meant to serve several functions:
Bring cleaner health products to people
Reduce packaging waste
Support community and local brands
Make zero-waste living more accessible
Provide resources about eco-friendly living
My favorite refillery in my city, Koko, says, “Less waste is the goal, but the journey will look different for everyone. Do what you can, with the information and resources you have.”
How Do You Use A Refillery?
Shopping at a refillery is easy. It’s just like buying trail mix or coffee beans from the bulk section of a local grocery store. Before you go, save some containers that you can use to put products in. I like tall salsa jars and pickle jars, clean takeout containers, and empty beauty product bottles. You’ll want to clean all your containers and make sure that they’re dry.
If you’re visiting a refillery for the first time, it can be helpful to review the store’s website to see what products it has available and what the price is for each thing on your list.
I can’t always envision how much of a product will fit in my container—say, laundry powder in a mason jar—so I also like to have an idea of the maximum amount I want to spend. That way, when I get to the store, I can ask them to fill my mason jar with the product but not exceed X amount of dollars. The store employees will weigh your container before and after filling, so you’re only paying for the product you buy.
If you forget your containers, that’s okay, too! Many refilleries have jars for sale that you can fill with items you purchase at the same time. It’s cheaper to bring your own, but you can surely reuse anything you buy in future trips.
Some refilleries also have online shops, but to utilize the refill system you almost always need to visit in person. The online marketplaces carry plenty of zero-waste products and plastic-free items, but those goods are typically bought individually. I recommend Earth Hero for online shopping because the site carries a wide range of goods and sustainable brands.
How To Find A Refillery In Your Area
Refilleries are becoming more popular, so search your area to see what is available to you! You can run a quick Google search for “Refilleries near me” and see what pops up. Also consider checking out eco-living shops and farmer’s markets in your area because you may find temporary, refillable stations in either place.
My go-to refillery shops in my area are Koko in Columbus, Ohio and Simply Zero in Cincinnati. But, there are refilleries in many cities across the country.
Package Free Shop, owned by Lauren Singer, is a well-known online marketplace with a brick-and-mortar refillery in New York’s Bowery district. The Conscious Merchant is in Denver, Dandelion Botanical is near Seattle, and Manor Market Refillery is in San Marcos, Texas.
You might even find mobile refilleries, such as The Clean Refillery in Austin, Texas. Mobile refill stores are typically vans that are stocked with bulk goods and smaller zero-waste products. You can often find them at summer markets.
How To Get Started Using A Refillery
A refillery is a great way to reduce plastic use and plastic waste, and you’ll probably enjoy the process of buying what you need and being able to refill containers you already have. I recommend savings jars and containers over time so you always have some on hand. Take a few minutes to plan your trip to the refillery, even if that is as simple as a shopping list and packing a reusable bag.
One final tip: I always take an extra container in case there is a new product I want to buy, too!