Re:Plenish without the waste

The inspiration behind Re:Plenish, our zero waste refill and retail pop-up store, came from careful examination of our own consumption habits and the amount of waste that we personally produce. Every bottle of shampoo or bit of floss we threw out weighed on our minds as we became more aware of our reliance on single use plastics.

We are all aware on some level that the earth's resources are finite, but the lifestyle we collectively participate in is based on the assumption that there is always more. What we consume goes into the black hole of the garbage can or recycling bin and it leaves our homes, but what we need to remember is that these items still exist well after we are done with them—often for hundreds of years.

Being mindful of the waste we produce is not easy, and it is not always comfortable. At about 2.7 kg per day, Canadians are said to produce more garbage per capita than any other country on earth. About 30% of that waste is recycled while the rest is sent to our landfills where it very slowly breaks down and releases greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Looking at these statistics it becomes apparent that we need to make a change, but change is hard when we have learned to rely on throwaway consumables.

Re:Plenish aims to bridge the gap between convenience and sustainability by creating a space where zero waste alternatives are readily accessible to Edmontonians, as well as providing a space to explore lifestyle changes that reduce waste.

We are both conscious of our contributions to an economy based on consumerism, which is inherently bad for the environment. Re:Plenish allows us to participate in our local economy in a way that we feel is ethical: we sell local products, our suppliers are ethical companies, and our products are as close to zero waste as possible. We are taking our time growing as a company by starting as a weekend-only pop up store and in this way we are able to remain true to our ideals of slow growth and ethical consumption.

As the concept for Re:Plenish took root in our minds we started to research companies that not only made bulk and low waste products, but were also consistent with our mission of ethical consumption and sustainability. We aim to carry brands that are as local as possible to reduce transportation emissions, as well as brands that are sustainable and ethical.

The zero waste movement has made great strides in online communities and along with that new awareness comes a want for zero waste products, many of which are ordered online. By ordering large amounts of these products and making them available locally, we can cut out significant transportation emissions as well as greatly reduce unnecessary packaging associated with online ordering.

Photo Credits:

• Photos of the store are by Intex Imaging (@intex_imaging)
• Portrait is by Melanie Madeleine (@melaniemadeleinephoto)

This post was submitted by Meghann Law and Karine St-Onge, both Edmonton community members. If you live in Edmonton and have a climate change story to tell, let us know! Your story could be shared here too.