Refill Revolution

As a child, I loved to watch and play Little House on The Prairie.  One of the cutest details was how people carried their baskets into the Olson’s store.  They brought jars and cans to fill with their purchases.  It was a tiny thing that most viewers probably overlooked, but I considered it part of the era’s charm.

Today, we push large carts through aisles teeming with items, packaged in sizes from single to extra value.  We peruse numerous varieties, each carefully marketed and placed on the shelves in psychologically researched positions.  A circus to our senses, our heads spin as we try to decipher, select, and push on.  Thousands of items to choose from, most coming from one of three conglomerates, and almost none of them close to healthy – even though they are often peddled as such.

Genetically modified, chemically treated, enriched, “recyclable,” and low-[fill in the blank] products from corporations are filling our bodies and our planet with garbage.  From content to disposal, our groceries are literally killing us slowly with disease and pollution.  Marketing and misinformation make it almost impossible for us to distinguish the better from the bad, while the good is out of reach for most, either financially, geographically, or logistically.

^{This open, airy, beautiful window is a breath of fresh air in grocery store design, as is the experience of shopping at Yardley Refillery – a low waste shop at the corner of Afton and Main. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

So, how do we live clean, healthy lives?  Why do we have to choose between affordable and safe?  What is “safe,” and who defines it?  How can we opt for better products when we can’t trust the information on the packaging?  All of this before we touch on packaging and the multitude of ills pertaining to our disposal of it.

All of this, honestly, seems too stressful to even think about, so we revert to familiar practice and brand loyalty.  Get in, get the Cheerios, and get out.

But what if there was a way to shop cleanly?  What if it was easy, approachable, and enjoyable?  What if we could walk into the Olson’s store with containers we washed out for reuse, and just refill the gallon jug of laundry detergent or the 32 ounce container of nuts with products that are researched and trustworthy?

Well, you can.

It isn’t the Olson’s, thankfully – Nellie Olson and her mother were such buggers.  It’s Yardley Refillery, and it is run by a small partnership of locals, led by Jaime Alford, who is just about the nicest person you could know.

^{Owner Jaime Alford’s background in design meshed perfectly with the varied backgrounds of co-owners Rob Knab, and Dan and Karin McLaughlin to give Yardley Refillery every edge. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

Talking to Jaime is like being ushered into the calmest, subtlest, most effective revolution the world will ever see.  In a smiling tone of voice, she almost whispers about things that leave most of us reeling.

“I think we are in the moment when people are fed up with the way we live life,” Jaime says softly.  “They see climate change happening in their daily lives – when there’s a flood literally five miles down the road.  I think that people are starting to make connections to the way we live.”

Seeing the changes in our weather, communities, and health is jarring for those who are paying attention, but it doesn’t do much to help foster change.  Wanting to do better, and knowing how, are two totally different things.  Jaime and her business partners, Rob Knab, and Karin and Dan McLaughlin, are here to help you make that change, one product at a time.

“I think a lot of people just come in out of curiosity,” Jaime says.  “We are a corner location, and they just want to come in, because, hey, what is it?… Once people get in and try these products and make little changes, then it just happens naturally.”

^{The beautiful aesthetic is only one reason to explore the options at Yardley Refillery. Researched products for improved health, a low waste system, and competitive pricing are others. Photos by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

Even as we are chatting, people are wandering in, scoping it out, asking questions, and saying confidently that they’ll be back.  Mixed in with those exploring the space are an equal number of customers who are obviously returning.  They independently use the tare system, digitally identifying the weight of each container they brought to refill, and then motor around the space, scooping and pumping with swiftness.

The Yardley Refillery, which just opened in September of 2023, is noticing about half of the people through the door are returning customers, and the browsers who say they’ll be back do, indeed, come back.  Part of that is because of the good feeling they get about using these products, all selected according to the store’s standard, which is, as Jaime puts it: “health of the planet; health for humans.”

Another huge factor, though, is the shopping environment.  Intentionally beautiful, Yardley Refillery uses an open layout.  Because they don’t house 87 versions of the same product, like conventional grocery stores, they have the space to give to customer comfort.  Shelves aren’t more than waist high.  Shoppers can see across the room; they can see one another.  They say hello and chat as they move around the store.  There is almost a feeling of comradery among them, like they are part of a club, or know the same secret.  There is a friendliness in the air, and it is one of Jaime’s favorite things.

“I just love it. The best part is that the people I’m meeting are so wonderful,” she says.  It is certainly a noticeable aspect of shopping here. 

^{Jamie loves sharing the wisdom she acquired in 22 years at a fragrance house and from her business partners. Genuine sense of caring about people and the environment was the driving force behind the low-waste shop idea. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

As Jaime was assisting a customer, I was exploring the selection of bath and beauty products, excited to buy bars of shampoo and conditioner when I need to replenish my supply.  A woman grabbing soap noticed my browsing nature and inquired if I had ever been in before.

“First time,” I replied. 

She immediately wanted to be helpful and told me which products she buys.  She giggled like a little girl from under her heavy silver bangs, the soft lines of age deepened with her rosy cheeked grin, then asked if I had ever tried the everything bagel seasoned cashews.  Jaime had given me some at the start of our conversation, and I raved.

“I come here every week,” she said, “and I get them every week.  I buy all kinds of things here now, but I never leave without those cashews.  They’re delicious.”

I agreed.  They are one of those things that you taste and can’t believe you ever lived without.

Another customer told me how she loved being able to fill her grandmother’s jars.  She got them more than 50 years ago and kept them in a box until recently.

“They aren’t fancy,” the woman explained, “just plain glass jars, but she hand-painted the names of each thing on the outside.  So, I bring them here and refill them, and I have her jars with her handwriting on my shelf every day.  It’s touching to me.”

^{Shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps and detergents for the home, and toothpaste and mouthwash tabs are just a few of the refill items that eliminate repeated packaging waste. Photos by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

The concept is unbelievably simple.  Bring your own containers; fill them with what you want.  If you don’t have your own, you can buy some.  Yardley Refillery sells containers made of wood, glass, and paper.  The selection is beautiful.  The shop minimizes plastic but passes no judgment.  In fact, they like seeing it be reused – especially since 2021 data tells us that less than 6% of American’s plastic is actually being recycled.  (That is down from 8.7% in 2018, and trends point to even less now.)

“That’s the motto: Progress, not perfection,” Jaime says.  She understands that change takes time and effort and that it has to start in small, comfortable ways.  Humans are creatures of convenience.  It was a skill we learned over millions of years of evolution.  We gravitated toward the resource that was simplest and safest.  It is why we evolved to eat cows and not tigers.

The trouble is we don’t live in the woods anymore.  The things we need are easily within reach.  The struggle for survival has left the equation, leaving only our propensity for grab-and-go acquisition.  Still, even for those who understand and care deeply about what the adjusted outcome is doing to the overall health of our species and environment, finding alternatives is difficult; and the majority of us, armed only with small bits of information, are completely overwhelmed or totally clueless when it comes to solutions.  What’s worse, we almost fear the awakening.  The news is so daunting, many would rather not hear it. 

Thankfully, the good folks of Yardley Refillery are here to help.

^{One of the more interesting items in the store, these naked water filters are the same charcoal sticks that reside within non-recyclable plastic filtering contraptions. Just float one in your pitcher or reusable cup. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

Driven by a deep love for community and environment, Jaime and her fellow owners bring an incredibly well-balanced skillset to the store.  With professional backgrounds in Education, Environmental Science, Retail Ownership, and Marketing & Design, all of the bases are covered.  Jaime and Dan run the shop’s day-to-day business, while Rob and Karin take active roles in addition to full-time employment elsewhere.

“Dan became the driver in pursuing a retail store in downtown Yardley,” Jaime explains.  “I pitched the idea of a refill, low-waste shop… Rob has a degree in Environmental Science and… is such a valuable resource in our store.  [He] can answer any ingredient or product questions.  Science is our secret weapon!  Karin is a full-time middle school teacher and is instrumental in helping to shape our product offerings.”

In addition to their collective professional backgrounds being perfectly suited to this endeavor, there are more personal drivers behind what they are doing.  The first being that they are all parents.  There are six kids between the two couples, and they all feel committed to making the world a better place for them.  By better, they mean cleaner and safer.

^{From beans to bolts, Yardley Refillery covers a broad range of customer needs. They also support small, local businesses whenever possible. Their coffee is supplied by Small World Roaster in Princeton (NJ). Photos by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

“I spent 22 years in a very free and creative position at Firmenich, a fragrance house,” Jaime tells me, explaining how this all came to be.  “My job was to observe what was happening in society, connect the dots, then create and present a future-focused narrative. This role allowed me to explore, to travel, to experience new ways of doing things, different sensibilities around sustainability in other cultures… 

“My mentor was a dynamic Dutchman named Steven, who is a true global citizen and spoke brilliantly about sustainability long before climate change was in the common lexicon. I learned so much from him. One day, he described the cycle of microplastics – how our products degrade into bits that end up in the oceans, on our beach, in our fish… We eat those fish and ultimately we are plasticizing ourselves. Fast forward to now, and there is an increasing body of research citing the dangers of plastics. I happen to believe we are just scratching the surface. This eventually became my biggest pitch yet, the Yardley Refillery.”

As we delve a little deeper, Jaime – who hails from Maplewood (NJ) – recounts spending time in Florida and frequenting a beach that was protected as a breeding ground for sea turtles.  Jaime visited throughout her life.  As a child, they took bags to the beach to collect seashells, but as years went by they began collecting the trash instead.  Watching the beach degrade over decades was a sad reality that impacted the way Jaime looked at the environment, but it was losing her mother to breast cancer when she was only 50 years old (Jaime was 25) that really pulled the issue of health into focus. 

Understanding the direct relationship our health has with our environment is a critical awakening, and it really is the central mission of Yardley Refillery.  Sure, the products look and smell amazing.  The store is a beautiful and friendly alternative to corporate overload.  Yes, there is absolutely a sense of empowerment that comes from sticking it to the man (so to speak), breaking the cycle of blind consumption, and knowing you’re doing the right thing. 

This is bigger than all of that, though.  This is about honoring yourself, your fellow humans, and this planet – on which we are undeniably and unbreakably tied to every living thing and natural system – enough to say, “enough.”  It is about fostering small change in one small place so many times that it becomes big change over time; and it starts at Yardley Refillery – with one stop and one swap.

^{If you don’t have your own containers, or want to upgrade, Yardley Refillery offers a wide selection of items in glass, wood, and metal. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}

“Me, as Jaime in Yardley, Pennsylvania, cannot control what’s happening [everywhere in the world], but I can control creating some magic in my own community.  So, when you’re focusing, and you just say ‘I want to be a positive force in Yardley lives,’ life looks much better…  Part of it, too, is that I care.  I really do.  I care about people.  I care about what they put on their bodies and what they ingest, and I want to teach them some things I picked up over the years.  Climate change doesn’t have to be this scary, scary thing.  This is definitely a statement, but it is done in a very accessible and beautiful way.”

Being present in the store confirms all of this.  The positive force is palpable.  The caring comes across.  By learning and taking little steps, we can feel like we are actually doing something that makes a difference, taking the fear and enormity out of the climate and plastic crises.  Making these changes at Yardley Refillery is “accessible and beautiful,” and so is this group’s manifestation of its wisdom.

So, we go, like the Ingalls, with a bit of old-timey charm and our baskets of jars, to face the most pressing issue of our time.  Like pioneers traveling into foreign lands, we are determined to find the path forward, to give our children a better world, to find safe passage into the future.  We go with excitement, optimism, more information, and renewed energy, but the best part just may be that we have the warmth and intelligence of Jaime and company greeting us at the door, and not those buggery Olson women. 

^{Yardley Refillery is open 7 days a week: 10am – 4pm on Sundays and Mondays, and 9am – 6pm Tuesday through Saturday. It starts with one stop, one swap. Photo by Kristina Gibb Photography.}