June 16 is World Refill Day, and it's a great opportunity to share the story behind your refills—and why this "new" concept is actually as old as your grandmother's milk delivery.
When The Old Way Really Was Better
Refilling isn't a new concept, of course. Some might know about the quintessential milkman who dropped off fresh glass bottles and collected the empties. It was the same with soda—people would return empty glass bottles at stores, get refunded a few cents, and bottling companies collected, washed, and put the bottles back into circulation. As a little girl, I remember relishing the errand of taking empty bottles back to the local store and buying candy with the change I got back.
This isn't just nostalgia—it is the circular economy in action, a system designed around reusing, repairing, repurposing, refurbishing, and sharing. Instead of the linear "take-make-throw away" pattern, the circular economy closes the loop with a "take-make-reuse-repeat" model, where disposal becomes the absolute last resort.
In the last 50 years, companies broke the circular model by dismantling these time-tested systems in favor of cheap, disposable plastic. Today, companies that take back containers for cleaning and refilling are almost non-existent, making it incredibly challenging for retailers like us to close the loop.
Making the Best of a Broken System
Since the vast majority of companies we purchase from don't take back containers, we've had to recreate our own version of an imperfect circular system. Here's how we do it:
We buy big. Most of our shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and soaps come in 5-gallon buckets (those bright orange Home Depot-style containers). Each bucket holds 640 ounces—enough to fill 53 standard 12-ounce bottles. That's 53 single-use plastic bottles we can divert with each bucket.
Nothing goes to waste. Since we can't return empty containers to the manufacturing company, we've created our own reuse network. After cleaning, five-gallon buckets get sold (for cheap) or donated through our partner Recycle Revolution. Gallon containers are cleaned and reused for business customers or bulk buyers. From day one, we have not thrown away any bucket or gallon container to landfill!
Our Collective Impact
Every time you bring your container to refill, you're voting for a future where reuse beats disposal, where sustainability trumps convenience. Our mini circular economy is working—we prevent 200 to 300 plastic bottles from being thrown away every month. In our first year, we diverted 1,435 containers from waste streams. Today, with you, our amazing community, we've kept 7,000 containers from becoming trash.
The dream? Buying in 55-gallon drums that could refill 587 containers each. We're working towards it!
Keep Refilling and Reusing
World Refill Day reminds us that refilling systems aren't just possible—they're proven. We had them before, and we can demand them again. While you're refilling soap and shampoo with us, here are other ways to refill and reuse in your daily life:
- Coffee shops like Starbucks will fill your clean mug or tumbler
- Grocery stores with bulk sections let you refill grains, nuts, and seeds (reuse the plastic bags you already have)
- Leftovers are better with your own to-go containers
- Water fountains everywhere are ready to refill your bottle
Happy World Refill Day!