Reduce, Reuse, Refyll

The next wave of “local” has arrived at the  in the form of Refyll, a new company that sells biodegradable household cleaners and body care products.  Whether you need shampoo, lotion, dishwashing liquid, or laundry soap, Refyll has can save you that trip to the grocery store, and help you reduce your impact on the planet at the same time. 

It’s pretty straight forward: bring your own container, tell the helpful gals behind the counter how much you need, and walk away knowing that you’ve kept one more container out of the landfill.  It’s not just about the container though.  Refyll’s founders spent a year researching and testing their products to make sure that they were as close as you could get to what nature intended.      

Jen Wedlake, co-founder of Refyll, told me about this new endeavor that began in December of 2011.  “We wanted to be able to refill our home and body products just like we refill our fruits and vegetables at the Market.  Nobody does that.”  Indeed, there was a need, and they found a way to (re)fill it.

All of Refyll’s products are handmade, biodegradable, and locally sourced.  So, what does Refyll have to offer?  Their best seller is the lotion bar.  “People are really taking to the idea of it.” Wedlake said, “There’s no water in it, so it doesn’t require preservatives.  To use it, pick up the bar and rub it on part of your body, or rub it between your hands and then apply it.”  This tactic works for the facial lotion bar and the body bar, and they even have a vegan option for those avoiding bees wax.  

Refyll is striving to create an entire line of body care and household products.  So far they have introduced shampoo and conditioner, hand soap, dish soap, castile soap, bleach alternative, the aforementioned lotion bars, laundry soap (use just 1 tablespoon) and even hair gel.  They also have surface scrub – great for enameled surfaces, and stainless and wood spray (which they recommend using with a microfiber cloth to keep things streak free).   

Refyll goes a step further with convenient dishwasher buttons – instead of those Cascade tablets with questionable ingredients.  Use one per load, and replace that Jet Dry with vinegar in the rinse cycle for crystal clear dishes. 

All the products are unscented, but you can add one of six essential oils for 50 cents per shot.  Fragrances include Central Coast, Honey Bee, Eucalyptus, Lime Coconut, Citrus Grove and In Bloom.

If you don’t have a container of your own, Refyll keeps some on hand to help get you started. You can also donate your containers to help them help others. 

Pricing starts as low as 9 cents per ounce.  Find out more about Refyll at the Farmers’ Market this Sunday, or visit their website at Refyll.com.