Americans produce an average of 4.4 pounds of trash a day.
Over the past few weeks, we have focused a good bit on refusing waste, following the golden rule of the Five Rs, and learning how to incorporate this mindset into your daily life. The time has now come to begin shifting away from our toxic relationship with single-use items.
This week, we’re switching gears to shine the spotlight on a lesser known “R” that will further your low-impact living goals in a big way—refill.
Containers and packaging create over 82 million tons of waste each year.
EPA
According to a recent study, despite the current global efforts to reduce plastic waste, some 53 million tons of plastic will exist in our oceans, rivers, and lakes by 2030.
Science Focus
In 2018, 91.3% of all plastic waste generated in the US was not recycled. Current data has not been released by the EPA, but we know that 2020 and 2021 saw record-breaking deliveries because of the pandemic, and plastic was a key material used in this boom.
National Geographic
In a world filled with endless packaging, it may seem like there is no way to avoid sending bags full of waste to the landfill each week; but the formula is simple: Refill to Reduce and Reuse.
Did you know there is now a way to directly cut out packaging waste when buying household and personal care products?
Instead of purchasing disposable plastic containers and creating waste, simply bring your empties to a refillery.
There are a number of benefits to shopping at refill stores:
SHIFT’s Narberth-based refillery checks all of the boxes in the list above, with the exception of pantry staples—at least for now. We are constantly listening to the needs of our community and looking for ways to help others lead more low-impact lives. In addition to acting as a drop-off site for several recycling programs, we offer a full-service menu for most home essentials.
Why full-service? We realize some people feel uncomfortable or intimidated trying out this new approach to shopping. As a result, many avoid this simple pivot to living more sustainably. With that in mind, we do all of the weighing, scooping, pouring, and refilling for you! By providing full-service refills, we make package-free shopping easy and convenient, while also promoting a COVID-conscious shop space and minimizing product waste.
Come say ‘hello’ if you’re in the area! And don’t forget to #shareyourshift to inspire others when you start refilling. Refilleries are a new concept, and most people aren’t even aware that they exist.