Soap Refill Stores
In 2022, I started using soap refill stores. Soap refill stores are locations where you can bring in empty bottles and refill them with soaps and other household liquids and powders. This helps the environment by preventing more one-time-use plastic production driven by your purchases and plastic from going to the landfill. Laundry soap, dish detergent, shampoo bottles, and many other household items are single-use plastics. Refilling your current bottles saves you from purchasing another single use plastic and that single use plastic is not sent to a landfill or recycling center. Soap refill stores buy soap in bulk quantities. These stores often have a bonus of being able to buy in concentrate so you are only paying for the actual chemicals and compounds you need (instead of paying for tons of dillution water in the product). From my Soap Refill store, I buy laundry soap, dish soap for the sink, dish detergent for the dishwasher, and hand soap. I also buy some of there non-soap products like dish scrubbers made of wood or loofah, wooden soap dishes, and silicone menstrual cups. I use glass jars that I save from my food purchases like mayonnaise, almond butter, salsa, etc.
Buying body products like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion is a great idea. I have thinning hair, so I buy specialty shampoo and conditioner to help me with that. Thus, I am not getting this from the Soap Refill store. Also, I buy all unscented products, and my specific soap refill store does not carry unscented lotion and body wash that I love. I love Tom’s bar soap and Dr. Bronner’s bar soap packaged in recyclable paper materials.
Check prices as you shop. The dish detergent at my soap refill store is way cheaper than Wal-Mart, but the laundry soap is a little more expensive. I used to use Beyond eco-detergent sheets that I got shipped to me (in all recyclable packaging) but they left a film on the washer.
The people I have met at the soap refill store are the best. So kind and gentle. And we share the same values of appreciating and saving the planet. Use Google to find a Soap Refill Store in your city!
The jars I take to the Soap Refill Store.