A refillery is the perfect place to start your sustainability journey. There are many types of refilleries, some offer food in bulk while others offer household and hygiene products.

I’d say a common mission of refilleries is to offer a low waste, low plastic shopping experience that supports more sustainable living practices. They typically have a bring-your-own container type system but they also offer containers for purchase.

I like to bring my amber glass bottles and mesh market bags. If you have old shampoo bottles or soap dispensers, that works too – just make sure to clean them out in advance.

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I visited my favorite refillery, Koko The Shop, in Louisville, Kentucky. Koko began as a solution to a problem: a lack of convenient resources to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

There is a bar of bulk products (hair products, skin products, deodorant, detergent, dish soap, dog soap, cleaning concentrate, etc) and a weighing station.

How Do Refilleries Work?

Weigh, fill, weigh again.

1. Weigh your container before you start.
2. Fill your container with new products from the bulk bar.
3. Weigh your container again after filling. A store associate will calculate your total cost
4. Pay and enjoy your newly refilled product.

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To find a refillery near you Google terms like – refillery, bulk store, zero-waste store.

It’s important to recognize that sustainability is not the same for everyone.

Small steps are still steps in the right direction. I personally feel that starting slow sets you up for success.