Happy New Year refillers!
You have refilled 136 times, meaning 136 single use plastic containers have not been purchased and have been diverted from the landfill! It could actually be even more as a few habit refillers refill bulk containers that last them a few months. I'm having such a great time with Null Refillery, and I hope you are feeling all the feels refilling and reusing, doing just one thing that can make a big impact on reducing plastic use.
Null Refillery is 1 year old this month and as I reflect on the last year, I wanted to share with you what I have learned, what Null has accomplished and my goals for Null for 2021. #goals
I'd like to think that I am a life long learner. When I work, I learn from my colleagues, and my patients. Owning a business was something that I never really wanted to learn...or maybe I was secretly wanting to but was overwhelmed with the idea of it. I also can be an anxious person, letting my mind run away with so many, "what if's?" This is where my "do just one thing" mantra became very useful. I posted a goal of starting a business on IG and FB in January of 2020, this made me accountable somehow, gave me the impedes to act. Instead of thinking too far into the future, I acted on what I thought was the immediate next step. I made a logo, then decided on my first product, and got some stickers made. Building my website was a big learning curve, but I got the hang of it and had fun with it, maybe too much fun, there are so many options, and editing has never been my strong suit! Initially I wanted to set up regular pop-ups at consistent locations across the city to make refilling visible and reliable, but then COVID...I learned flexibility, quickly. "Learn by doing", a wise professor once touted.
Marketing on IG and FB was a time suck, constantly checking if I got a "like" or "share", (don't tell my teenage daughter...). I'm still baffled by this media, am I consistent in my branding, am I posting frequently, do I sprinkle in enough pictures of myself (grew up instantly hating any picture of me)? Let me just tell you, ring lights are amazing! I spoke with an accounting friend, expense/income tracking apps, do I register my business or not, what POS has the least fees? I won't bore you with anymore...the biggest thing I had to learn was confidence, resolve, resiliance and loyalty to my brand and vision.
This year will be my growth year. Getting the word out about refilling and creating habits is the number 1 priority. We have been bamboozled since the 1970's that plastic is recyclable. Most plastic bottles are still made of virgin plastic (new made from oil). Planet Money recently rebroadcast an investigative story about this; it's a quick listen. Reuse is a way to not only cut down on plastics entering our landfills, oceans, etc BUT it also keeps new plastic containers from being bought (refuse). I have faith in you refillers...so much so that I was able to buy a 55 gallon drum (thanks stimulus money) of laundry soap-cutting down on Null's use of plastics too. I mean hey...Other goals for this year are to find a business with a store front that might host Null once a month, try to get into a farmers market, have at least 1 delivery per week, and implement some sort of rewards program for repeat refillers. So I've got my work cut out for me. I'll leave you with a couple low-waste ideas to think about...do just one thing remember?!
1.Collect water left over from water bottles and glasses and water plants with it. If you have a lot of plants, or it's summer and you have flower pots, collect the water that is running while you are heating up your shower or bath.
2.Buy bulk foods, spices and keep track of their numbers on your phone (mine are in "notes" and I organize them by store), tie a knot in the hopefully reused plastic bag so you don't need a twist tie, or save those plastic closure thingies from bread and reuse those. Did you know WINCo has bulk parmesan cheese...game changer! I saved a parmesan can, you know with the sprinkle top and refill it! I was so excited.
Anyway, I look forward to another year of refilling and as always thank you so much for your continued support and patronage. We are making an impact.
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