According to Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, a sustainability provocateur, “a zero waste lifestyler is someone who actively reduces their waste consumption by designing their life to combat acquiring things that are wasteful or will end up as trash, especially avoiding all disposable and non-recyclable products and packaging.” The phrase “going zero waste” has gone from appearing in government policies to a cool lifestyle trend in younger generations within the last decade, but it always seems so hard to find somewhere to start your own sustainable lifestyle journey. Lucky for you, The Refillery, Pittsburgh’s first refill store, is right down the street from Pitt’s campus in Squirrel Hill.
Refill stores, like The Refillery, allow individuals to fill up their own containers with everyday self-care and household products from a bulk supply. The process might seem confusing, but it’s actually very easy: Bring an empty container from home, let The Refillery weigh your container prior to filling it up, fill your container with a product, weigh the full container again, pay only for the amount of product you took, and come back again when the container is empty! Visiting and supporting this woman and minority-owned store can be the first step in beginning your sustainable lifestyle journey due to the low commitment and minimal effort it requires.
The Refillery offers many products including containers, dispensers, liquid or powder cleaners for all areas of your house, but my favorite products come from the personal care section. Everything from sugar scrub, lotion, hair gel, shampoo and conditioner, beard oil, sunscreen etc. is found in this section. Also a sustainable living company, The Rebrand is the skincare brand The Refillery carries, and the cleansers, serums and night creams don’t disappoint.
Positivity radiates throughout the store, and I’ve continued returning here after my initial visit because of how easy the process is and the mission that the store pursues. For more information or to just see what I’m talking about, visit The Refillery’s Instagram, TikTok or website.