The zero-waste movement is alive and kicking in Grand Rapids, especially for one local business. Earthly Refillery, a bulk refill store seeking to cut down plastic waste has grown enough in popularity since 2022 that they’ve opened a second location in Studio Park.
Customers can obtain bulk household and grocery products such as shampoo, moisturizers, food and laundry pods at the 122 Oakes St. store– all while utilizing reusable containers that can also be purchased. This shopping strategy may be particularly helpful to students, who may be looking to offset other living expenses while paying for tuition, room and board.
Owner and founder Anna Crooks believes everyone should be able to participate in waste reduction while making healthier lifestyle choices, and Earthly Refillery seeks to fill that need in Grand Rapids. For Crooks, opening a second location in addition to her original Eastown store is a major step toward her dream of making environmentally-sustainable living easier in West Michigan.
“The less that ends up in the landfill, the better for everyone and the planet,” Crooks said.
Crooks said the goal of her business model is to reduce single-use plastic waste while still offering low-waste household products and bulk items. She started the business after a different refillery in Grand Rapids had shut down, opening a void in the city’s sustainable business sphere.
“(Refill shops) have always been something that was very interesting to me,” Crooks said. “I realized there was still a need for one in the city. I happened to be at the right point in my life to start Earthly.”
Within the global issue of climate change, Crooks believes starting closer to home is essential for affecting small amounts of change, which can lead to a broader wave of positive impact.
“My favorite thing about Earthly Refillery is the community,” Crooks said. “I have always said I do this for my community, and (I) want to cater the products we sell for the people who shop at the store.”
Lately, Crooks has noticed not just more refill shops popping up, but more sustainability efforts across businesses in general.
“I definitely see a lot more businesses starting to ‘go green,’” Crooks said. “A lot of restaurants are teaming up with local compost businesses to compost all their scrap food that would normally end up in landfills. It gets turned into soil that can be reused over and over.”
Amy McFarland, director of environmental and sustainability studies at Grand Valley State University, believes these businesses are making a step in the right direction, but that there’s still much work to do.
“Using paper straws and other recycled materials does help,” McFarland said. “However, we have to recognize the limits on human mental energy and not keep asking people to do more without removing the (socioeconomic) barriers to doing more.”
Earthly Refillery seeks to do just that: make healthy choices easier. By opening a second location, more customers will be able to engage with the eco-friendly business.
Yumiko Jakobcic, director of the GVSU Office of Sustainability Practices, hopes that recent trends, reaction patterns and the open-mindedness of many businesses can continue to promote sustainable practices across communities.
“I think businesses are responsive to consumer demand, so I am hopeful that as long as we keep advocating for sustainable practices, they will continue,” Jakobcic said.
Jakobcic is particularly excited about reusing objects, like the containers utilized at Earthly Refillery.
“I would really love to see reuse become a bigger trend than recycling,” Jakobcic said. “Of course recycling is helpful, but it still takes a lot of energy and resources to operate a recycling plant, whereas reusing items you have at home (or refilling them) is simpler and less energy intensive.”
Looking forward, Crooks is optimistic about both the future of her business and the environmental sustainability movement as a whole. Crooks said she plans to continue expanding Earthly by adding more local, sustainable products, and that the shop will soon be hosting educational events to engage the community.
