We do waste a lot of stuff that we could use again. By “we” I mean the whole human race. We throw away a lot of stuff that we could use again. Your trashcan is basically full of some artist's future found art collage, if we think about this in the least practical way. In another way, how much stuff do you throw away that you COULD use again?
It’s not only on you, to be fair. A lot of your stuff comes in containers you can only use once. For decades we’ve been falling into the rhythms of a lifestyle structured around being in a hurry. We have no time to fuss with understanding either where our stuff comes from or even what goes into getting it to us. So long as nothing interrupts our supply chains, we can get along with our busy, busy lives.
We’ve started learning something about ourselves, though, haven’t we? We sort of LIKE involving ourselves in that supply chain, don’t we? There’s this whole movement taking hold of the socials of a) figuring out DIY projects to show off to our friends, and b) noticing how much freaking junk we produce. It’s not even growing anymore. Three out of four of everyone you’ve ever met thinks it’s a good idea to reduce how much junk we use only one time.
Heck, you may even be one of the three out of four and you’re telling your one friend about how you like to reuse stuff.
And here’s us. It’s for people exactly like you that we are going to have a shelf full of empty glass bottles and jars at the shop. It’s partly an aesthetic choice. A nice, clean, empty glass vessel looks nice. It’s also a symbol of the several things we’re all about, because these jars and bottles are for you. You get to come in and grab an empty jar and fill it up with whatever you need–laundry detergent, hand soap. It’s practical too.
Another Big feature of this shelf full of jars is where we get them. We get them from you. We’ll buy new ones when we run low, maybe, but we plan on sourcing as many jars and bottles as possible from you.
Because the thing is, you CAN be involved in the supply chain of your stuff. You can be part of so many things that help with reducing how much our current economy relies on single-use stuff. Think about it. If you use and reuse a glass jar full of hand soap, a product you replace, what, every two weeks or something? Then that’s already twenty-ish plastic bottles every year that you’re NOT throwing away.
That’s kind of cool. Mad props for doing your part!
We are running a jar and bottle drive right now. Have a bunch of glass containers you need to get rid of? Send us an email for instructions. info@refillary.co