Walking into a refill store for the first time can feel a little different from a typical shopping experience. Instead of aisles lined with single-use plastic bottles and excessive packaging, at a refill store like Love Thy Nature Refillery, you’ll be surrounded by reusable containers, bulk products, and a focus on mindful consumption.
At its core, a refillery helps people reduce waste by allowing customers to reuse containers for everyday household and personal care products instead of purchasing new packaged items each time. Customers can bring their own containers and refill them in-store, helping cut down on single-use packaging and unnecessary waste.
Most refill stores follow a simple process: customers bring clean containers from home, weigh them before filling, then refill the amount they need from bulk dispensers. The container weight is subtracted from the total, so customers only pay for the weight of the product. Typical refill stores offer products such as dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, household cleaners, and laundry detergent in bulk.
“Easy swaps to make to reduce waste include refilling laundry detergent, hand soap, and switching to bar shampoo and conditioner. A single conditioner bar can replace six plastic containers,” said Dana Jeffas, owner of Love Thy Nature Refillery in Medford, NJ.
For anyone who feels overwhelmed by sustainability, Dana encourages starting small rather than trying to change everything at once. She recommends beginning with a product you are already running low on, then stopping by Love Thy Nature Refillery to explore the refill options available.
Beyond offering refill services, Love Thy Nature Refillery reflects broader commitments with three sustainability initiatives. 
The first initiative, “Closed Loop,” prioritizes carrying brands and products that allow the 5-gallon refill buckets to be returned, sanitized, and reused rather than discarded.
The second initiative, “The Recycling Program,” is a partnership with Medford Township that collects flexible plastics and helps recycle them into community park benches.
The third initiative, “Composting,” allows customers to drop off select items that can be separated into recyclable metal components and compostable materials through a partnership with Garden State Composting.
At Sustainable South Jersey, we love highlighting local organizations and businesses helping make sustainability more accessible within our communities. Refill stores like Love Thy Nature Refillery show how small everyday choices can make sustainable living feel more practical and approachable.