A Phoenix TikTok creator is introducing viewers to a local store built around reusing containers instead of constantly replacing them.
At this shop, customers can bring their own bottles and refill them, rather than buying new packaging each time they need household products. "I had no idea this existed," Justine (@ThatFlippingAgent) writes in her TikTok's text overlay.
The store in question is Desert Refillery, which Justine describes as "one of the coolest stores in Phoenix."
At Desert Refillery, customers bring in containers to be weighed before and after filling them, then pay only for the amount dispensed.
Along with refill options, the store also appears to sell "really cute Arizona stuff" for gifts. The products shown in the shop seem to cover a variety of daily necessities, such as cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items.
One commenter wrote, "Ohhhh I just went to a place like this in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and got the best shampoo & conditioner."
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Stores like this allow people to keep using the same containers for items like soap, shampoo, detergent, and cleaners instead of replacing plastic bottles whenever they run out. Because products are measured during the refill process, shoppers are charged based on how much they dispense, and depending on the product, this can lead to savings over time.
Limiting plastic consumption is important because single-use plastics are choking our waterways, public spaces, and landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that in 2018, 27 million tons of plastic went to landfills. Meanwhile, plastic that doesn't make it to the landfill decomposes in the environment over decades or generations, shedding millions of microplastics into the soil or water, which can inevitably end up back in the food we eat.
Reusing bottles and jars not only keeps plastics out of the environment and landfills but also saves you money. Products in refill stores often cost less than their packaged alternatives.
If a refillery near you sounds appealing, the easiest place to start is with the products you use most often. Clean out an old hand soap bottle, shampoo container, or cleaner bottle and bring it along, if the store accepts it.
It can also help to ask what kinds of containers work best for different products, including something like toothpaste. Refill stores can usually guide first-time shoppers toward the right jar, bottle, or dispenser for their needs.
For people in the Phoenix area, Desert Refillery appears to offer a way to pair practical shopping with supporting a local business.
"Omg I definitely need to check this place out," one TikToker gushed.
"Neat!" another enthused.
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