In my quest to live a better life, I have been searching for better options & doing what I can to make more eco-friendly choices. Less plastic, less waste, more happiness & just making decisions with the planet at the forefront. It isn’t always the easiest or most convenient decision, but it is one that I am proud of & one that I am determined to learn more about every single day.
In our area I discovered the most beautiful shop. The big open doors invite you in, & you are immediately drawn to all the interesting-looking foods etc all around the shop. I literally let our a squeal the first time I walked in, & then promptly turned bright red & hid my head! I knew this was going to be a new favourite of mine; & that I would be spending lots of time browsing & adding different goodies to the brown paper bags. I have enjoyed their black rice; the different quinoa, cous cous & other grains; & even purchased a solid shampoo bar for my sister. I knew I had to do a feature on The Refillery…
Your name: Samantha Molet & Dominic Moleta [Co-founders/owners/husband and wife]
Business name: The Refillery
Social media handles: Instagram, Facebook & Website
Tell me a bit more about The Refillery:
The Refillery is a planet friendly grocery store offering a stylish, convenient, plastic-free, ‘weigh& pay’ shopping experience that helps you stock and restock your pantry without the wasteful single use plastic packaging. We offer all types of dry produce such as flour, grains, beans & pulses, nuts & seeds, dried fruit, herbs & spices and superfoods to all your household cleaning products from So Pure as well as toiletries all refillable. You are able to buy in whatever quantity you like. Our customers are encouraged to bring in their own containers [B.Y.O.J – Bring your own jar] to fill up or you can purchase any of our jars from Consol Glass or make use of our recycled brown paper bags to decant into your containers at home.
We offer an online delivery service as well as a click to collect in store too.
Where did this idea come from:
The concept itself of bulk foods is an age old concept that has made a come back in the recent years due the ever increasing plastic crisis we have put ourselves in. Dom and I used to work out at sea in the yachting industry and saw first hand the amount of plastic waster and pollution in the ocean and remotes part of the world and now with two young beautiful children we want them to be able to see the world in all her glory and not riddled with plastic bags and litter. So we decided instead of talking about it, to put our intentions into practice and thus The Refillery was born.
Where can people find your store, & can they buy online:
We are based in Cedar Square Shopping Centre in Fourways, on the upper level shop U3.11 opposite the ski ramp and we also have our online store where you can order online and all orders over R500 are free delivery all over South Africa.
What are some of the products that you sell:
We sell a gorgeous range of Zero Waste Lifestyle Products such as shampoo bars, reusable produce bags, bees wax wraps, straws and reusable bottles and cups to your basic pantry staples to pasta, rices, pulses and beans, superfoods, cleaning products, DIY ingredients, toiletries, organic loose leaf teas, single origin coffee beans, baking supplies, dried fruit and nuts, curry spice mix, to even lemonade on tap and snacking options too.
What is your personal favourite product:
I am huge fan of our Spaza bowl covers as i love to cook and entertain so to be able to cover my dishes in gorgeous, hand crafted covers just makes my dishes look fantastic and super easy to keep, clean and reusable too. Not to mention a local product made by woman in Townships who are stay at home caretakers.
What are your most popular products:
People absolutely love our japanese rice crackers which are simply more-ish, our black rice is a huge fan favourite as well as our bliss ball recipe in a jar not to mention our ZWL product range.
Why is living an eco-friendly life so important to you:
Its not about doing it perfectly but rather trying to do the best you can as an individual or family. Its small actions by millions of people that make a difference and as an avid lover of sea, bush and travel I feel its important NOW to change our habits for a better future.
Why do you think people are so encouraged by this idea & living a better life:
I strongly believe people are concerned about the plastic crisis and genuinely want to help but don’t always have an avenue to change and The Refillery makes plastic free shopping possible, convenient and easy. Its in their best interest for themselves and their children children.
What are a few hints you have for people who wish to make the change:
Be more aware of the amount of single use plastic you consume, this the of plastic is not recyclable and will never degrade so its important to try make small changes where possible.
– Choose reusables where ever possible; such as bags, water bottles, coffee mugs, straws and produce bags and reuse them over and over again.
– Make use of what you have at home, reinvent old jars or containers, repurpose them.
– Choose sustainable resources such as bamboo and stainless steel [bamboo toothbrushes and stainless steel razors]
– Try bulk food shopping, its feel good shopping and you have much less waste as you buy in the quantities you actually need and use.
Quote you live by:
“You don’t need a handful of people doing Zero Waste living perfectly, but rather a million people doing it imperfectly”
Anything else you want to add:
Thank you for this amazing opportunity to feature on your blog – we are honoured!
This is such a happy place, & with their own little coffee corner, it has the perfect vibe to sit back & just chill. You feel relaxed & instantly a smile spreads across your face when you walk into the store. I find myself needing to “pop in” at least once a week just to see what is there & what catches my eye on that day. And every time I go there I discover something new that I just have to try!
If you are in JHB, make sure you go through to the shop for the full experience. Or visit their online store & place your order. Let’s work together to be the change.
All pics taken by Catia Frazao.
