Every bathroom is likely filled with plastic containers holding various products such as shampoo and hand soap, most of which list water as the primary ingredient. The ongoing cycle of buying and throwing away plastic bottles contributes to the production of greenhouse gases. The amount of plastic being produced worldwide is increasing, with an average of 122 pounds per person each year, but only about five percent of that plastic is recycled according to the Department of Energy.
Caroline Deloach, a sustainability director with Atlantic Packaging, emphasizes the need to address our consumption habits in order to tackle the climate crisis. This is why Alyssa Cherry founded Fillaree, a business in Durham that offers natural soap, shampoo, and cleaners in glass bottles that customers can refill at the store. Cherry explains that their goal is to make it easy for people to reuse and refill their household products, reducing the reliance on single-use plastic containers.
By providing alternatives to single-use plastic bottles, businesses like Fillaree are taking steps towards reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging consumers to embrace refillable options can help combat the environmental impact of our daily consumption habits.