The slogan for a new eco-friendly business is BYOB, but the “B” the owners want you to bring is an empty bottle rather than a beverage.
The Refillery at 3016 De la Vina St. in Santa Barbara opened this month with a mission to reduce unnecessary waste by allowing customers to refill common, daily-used personal items.
Those who don’t have a bottle can purchase one and fill up by the ounce organic, chemical-free lotion, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, aftershave, shampoo and more.
“Love your bottle. That’s the concept,” said Lacey Grevious, who co-owns the shop with boyfriend Chris Reeder.
The twenty-something’s have been sitting on the idea for more than a year, waiting for details to fall into place so they could pursue sharing a dream they’ve already been living themselves.
The store name is trademarked, a website is up and running, and the eco-minded couple have even managed to secure a store in a visible location (across the street from Trader Joe’s) and within walking distance of their Santa Barbara home.
The space, which used to house DCM Graphics and was renovated after a fire last April, offered a clean slate for the business idea that’s relatively new to the city.
Grevious said that while the concept isn’t new, the nearest similar store is in Ventura.
“The idea was to bring in your own bottle and refill it,” she told Noozhawk. “We’re trying to make it as fun and eco-friendly as we can. So far, we’ve been really well received. We’re excited because we don’t even have a sign yet.”
The Refillery has more than 30 unscented refillable products on hand, with more than 50 essential oils and scents that can be added.
Reeder, who is a manager at Opal Restaurant & Bar, helps out in the store as much as he can.
“When I’m not there, I’m here,” he said, noting that The Refillery is open seven days a week.
Grevious handpicks all of the environmental-friendly merchandise sold alongside refills and the local artworks that will rotate on the store walls.
She described refill prices as “between Whole Foods and Ralphs,” adding that she would like to some day be able to open a chain of the small eco-friendly stores.
The store “shop dog” Riv, a Doberman/Labrador mix, greets customers who have already heard about the place via word of mouth.
Grevious and Reeder say they hope to see customers return for more than an economic profit, some of which will be donated to local causes.
Love of the environment is what sustains the couple’s passion for the store.
“This I can make an impact one bottle at a time,” Grevious said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.