Hyde Park Corner welcomed a new planet-friendly grocer, The Refillery – this plastic-free store offers the mall’s shoppers a convenient, ‘weigh-and-pay’ shopping experience.
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. That fact alone is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. But sadly, the facts about plastic expose a harrowing reality and we are now, more than ever, in a dire state of over consumption and drowning, so to speak, in single use plastics.
It’s a shift to now purchase less plastic, which allows consumers to reduce, reuse, recycle and refill. The Refillery; a shopping concept which allows consumers to bring in their own containers / jars / bottles / Tupperware or any container they wish to use in-store to REFILL with a product of their choice.
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Shoppers can also make use of complementary recycled brown paper bags provided they later decant at home into their pantry or purchase their jars and bottles to refill in store. It’s a simple ‘weigh and pay’ system where there are no minimums so shoppers can purchase in whatever quantity they need.
The Refillery stocks everything from oil and vinegar, rice and pasta, beans and pulses, tea and coffee to a wide range of flours, dried fruit and nuts and even superfoods. Further to this, they offer chemical-free cleaning products and toiletries in a refillable option, and a wide variety of zero waste lifestyle items such as shampoo bars, beeswax wraps, dish covers or reusable produce bags.
This Refill Revolution is quickly becoming a local trend here in Gauteng with three stores already changing the way consumers shop.
The couple behind this brand, Sam and Dom Moleta, started The Refillery in March 2019. This is a culmination of a long-held dream for the husband-and-wife team. Having spent six years working in the yachting industry and opening a hotel in Thailand, the Moletas saw first-hand the impact single-use-plastic waste has on the oceans and were determined to find a way to make a difference.