Zero-waste refill stations want you to rethink what a trip to the store looks like. Here’s a list of places to buy soap, shampoo, laundry pods and more.
In L.A., most of us have some experience purchasing things by weight. Nuts and dried fruit at Sprouts. Last-minute meals from the hot bar at Whole Foods. At a growing number of places around Los Angeles, there’s a new category of bulk products: personal care and home cleaning items such as hand soap, moisturizer, toothpaste tabs, shampoo, laundry pods and all-purpose cleaner.
They’re called refill stations. Almost all of them are woman-owned small businesses. And they all want you to rethink what a trip to the store looks like. Here’s how it works: You bring your own containers from home. Glass or plastic are OK, as long as they’re clean. If you forget them, stores offer a few options for sale. Many also have a basket of donated jars from other customers that you can use.An employee will weigh your container and mark that number, known as the tare. Fill up with as much or as little of a product as you want, then bring it back to be weighed again and pay for what you bought. It’s a great way to sample new products and reduce the amount of plastic packaging you consume. If the Golden State is going to lead the world toward a better, safer future, our political and business leaders — and the rest of us — will have to work harder to rewrite the California narrative. Here’s how we can push the state forward.People who are accustomed to picking up the cheapest hand soap at a big-box retailer might balk at some of the prices: 40 cents an ounce for unscented hand soap at BYO Long Beach, 25 cents an ounce for dish soap at Re_ Grocery in Mar Vista, $9 for a cube of solid deodorant at the Well Refill. But Julie Darrell, the owner of three BYO Long Beach refill stations, said it’s “apples and oranges” in terms of what you’re getting. She said all of her products are made with high-quality, environmentally-friendly ingredients and are produced locally by companies that treat their employees well.A number of stores now also sell pre-filled “grab and go” containers of the refill products on offer. Darrell said it helps first-time customers get an idea of what they’re meant to do: “A lot of that first visit is about education.”Sunmoonrain is a refill station and jewelry store in Santa Monica. Formerly called Recontained, the store moved from its Venice location in March 2021 and relaunched under new owner Shabnam Melwani this February. In addition to by-the-ounce refills on personal care and cleaning products, the store sells jewelry made with recycled materials, sustainable lifestyle products, gifts, skincare, crystals and pet and baby products. The most popular refill products are the laundry detergent, dish soap, hand and body soap and deodorant. The lotion bars they sell were made specifically for the store. The store has a refill station at the Mar Vista farmers market on the first Sunday of the month. Sunmoonrain is a certified Green Business.Re_ Grocery offers refills on cleaning and personal care products as well as a wide variety of bulk foods. Grocery items include baking ingredients, oils, herbs, spices, mushrooms, dry pasta and soup bases. Every food product has a QR code that you can scan to check out the ingredients and other information about how it was grown and processed. There’s a kombucha draft machine in the back. The store also has a limited selection of zero-waste lifestyle items such as bamboo toothbrushes, wool dryer balls, wooden dish brushes and reusable water bottles.The Well Refill in Topanga opened in June 2020. Nestled in Pine Tree Circle’s arcade of similar boutiques — places with words like “apothecary” and “shoppe” in their names — the Well Refill also has vintage clothes, shoes and toys collected by owner and self-described “treasure hunter” Hayley Magrini. She said a lot of first-time customers come looking for the laundry detergent and dish soap refills, but her regulars keep coming back for the curated selection of high-end skincare refills. The store sells an organic cotton tote bag designed with pockets specifically for holding refilled glass jars.The Woodland Hills Prostainable location is one of the smaller shops on this list: It takes up the front area of the offices for a facialist and acupuncturist, both of whom use Prostainable’s products. But don’t let the size fool you: It offers a full suite of cleaning and personal care products. Owner Laura Yochum said the most popular items are shampoo bars, face wash and dishwashing, laundry and hand soap. One of two locations. Open Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and Wednesdays.Owner Bobbi Chong describes Earthensoul as an “herbal apothecary.” In addition to a refill station with cleaning and personal care products, the store has shelves packed wall-to-wall with dried herbs for making teas, medicines, baths, steams or for burning. The store also sells incense, crystals, tinctures and other herbal extracts, bath salts, baby items and seeds. The refill station offers cleaning and personal care products, as well as a range of oils, including avocado, safflower, jojoba, rosehip and argan.The larger of two Prostainable locations, this one offers refills on products such as soaps, laundry concentrate, fabric softener, facial and skin cleaners, lotions, shea butter and body wash. Open Mondays, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.One of three BYO Long Beach refill stations, this one shares space with the plant store Rooted. The first BYO Long Beach location opened in 2017. Back then, owner Julie Darrell said, the biggest seller was reusable straws. Today, her most popular items are refills on dish, laundry and hand soap.Jessica Roy BYO Long Beach’s original location offers refills on hand and body soap, body and face wash, laundry detergent and other household cleaning and personal care products, as well as other sustainable or zero-waste home and beauty items. One of three locations. Open Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays., a nonprofit that does research and supports activism around plastic pollution. The store offers refills on cleaning and personal care items, along with other zero-waste or sustainably-made items.The Golden Triangle has refills of bath, body and cleaning products. In addition to the refill station, it has “pre-loved” clothing for sale. You can also find goat milk soap, handmade bath scrub and other organically-made cleaning products. The store sells sustainable lifestyle products, including reusable food containers, mason jar lids, loofahs and candles. The Golden Triangle shares a space with an area for vintage vases, plates, cups and glassware bySustain LA offers cleaning products, soaps and shampoos in a bright space near La Tropicana Market in Highland Park. Bring your own containers, pick up a donated bottle or purchase stylish jars and dispensers for an array of products, including laundry detergent, window cleaner and dish soap. Or try an assortment of shampoos, soaps, skincare products, clays, shea butters and makeup. Everything is nontoxic and plastic-free, including shave kits and bamboo toothbrushes. Other popular products include deodorant cream, face oil, and Sana salve for sore muscles and joints.Matthew Ballinger Wild Terra opened in May 2018 and occupies an airy space in Highland Park’s hip Figueroa corridor. It specializes in high-quality and often hard-to-find teas and herbs. On a recent visit, a customer emphatically agreed with owner Danielle Noe that the selection of medicinal herbs and loose-leaf teas is tough to match. Shoppers can bring their own containers — empty, clean, dry, labels removed — or purchase jars and dispensers. Dry items are sold in paper bags, which can also be reused. Wild Terra also carries olive oil, essential oils, incense and a small selection of books and greeting cards.My Zero Waste Store: Ban Single Use Plastics sells laundry and dish detergent, shampoos, soaps and more in a high-ceilinged shop near the Pasadena Playhouse. Customers can bring their own containers, buy reusable bottles and dispensers, or use a container donated by other customers. Delivery and pickup is offered. Popular items include toothpaste tablets and dryer balls that can replaces single-use dryer sheets. In addition to refillable household goods and personal care items, My Zero Waste Store sells durable items such as safety razors — a top recommendation of clerk Natasha Sill.The Highland Park outpost of Re_Grocery sits on the bustling stretch of York Boulevard that is also home to Belle’s Bagels, the Shorthand stationery shop, Baller Hardware and Big Bud Press. It offers an array of dry groceries, such as pastas, beans, nuts, coffee, tea, flour, spices and grains. It also sells vegan butter, eggs, cooking oils and tofu. Don’t miss the kombucha taps to the left when you enter the shop. Also on offer are bulk body products, including soaps and shampoos, as well as household cleaners for the kitchen, laundry room and more.Every product at Raices is handcrafted in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and comes without plastic packaging. Raices offers refills on shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hand soap, dish soap, body lotion and oil, hand sanitizer, laundry soap and all-purpose cleaner. In addition to refills, the shop offers soaps, solid lotion bars, bath bombs, and personal care and cosmetic items. Owner Maribel Valadez said the most popular refill items are the body lotions.The products at Square One Refills are vegan, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and contain no perfumes, dyes or fillers, according to owner Anna Nitti. Some products are created ultra-locally in Santa Monica Canyon, along with shampoo bars made in Cambria and body, face and hair oils from Bend, Ore. Square One offers refills for beauty and home products including shampoos, conditioners, body wash, dish soap and CBD body oil. Nitti says some of the most popular items are the vitamin C serum, citrus shampoo and body wash, and the dish soap. Open Tuesdays 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesdays through Fridays, 12:30 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.Luludew is a refill bar and a cloth diaper delivery and household cleaning towel service. Refill station items include laundry soap, body lotion, baby wipe solution, hand soap, body wash, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner, as well as cloth cleaning rags.Everything at Ethikli is vegan and ethically sourced, according to member-owner Ry Brennan. The store sells bulk rice, beans, lentils, flours, pasta, sweeteners, salts, spices, oils, vinegars, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, chips, crackers, snacks, nuts, chocolate, coffee, tea, herbs, laundry detergent, cleaners, soap, tofu, vegan butter, Vegenaise, olives, pickles, bread and coconut kefir. The most popular items are the vegan cheese, tofu, nut butters, and pickles. “We do a lot of research on our products to make sure there’s fair treatment throughout the supply chain. We’re also entirely worker-owned, which means that every worker owns equity in the business and is involved in decision-making,” Brennan said in an email. Is the water in Pacific Palisades safe to drink? L.A.’s DWP has launched a website so you can find out
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