Reed’s Refillery: Discovering our local eco-friendly shop
Since we launched Buzz Does in November 2022 (our long-term strategy for supporting people and the planet), switching our office supplies to locally-sourced, sustainable alternatives has been at the top of my to-do list.
From the washing-up liquid we buy, to the milk we use for our daily cups of tea, I’ve been on the lookout for non-polluting businesses and suppliers whose goals and values align with our own.
One day when I was busy googling environmentally-friendly shops near us, I came across Reed’s Refillery, a quaint eco-friendly, zero-waste shop in the heart of Chorley town centre – only a 3-minute walk from Buzz Education!
Excited to explore, I decided to head out and take a look with my fellow Buzz Does accomplices, Kate and Natasha. To our delight, we discovered a treasure trove of sustainable supplies.
Stephanie Reed, the owner (and local legend) welcomed us inside, showed us around the shop and introduced us to the wonderful array of products available to buy.
From beautifully-scented hand soaps and fruity liquid detergents to soft kitchen roll made from recycled paper – every aisle and cupboard glistens with plastic-free, planet-friendly goods.
She also stocks products from eco-friendly shops in Chorley too, including sustainable soap bars from Droyts, delectable sweet treats from Old Soul Bakery, and lots more.
After perusing the aisles and familiarising myself with the refilling stations, I got chatting to Steph about Buzz Education, how we help organisations to sell to schools and our long-term strategy to become a more sustainable business. From our chat, I discovered she used to be a science teacher before opening her own eco-friendly shop in Chorley – a career journey with some similarities to our managing director’s!
Since the day we first discovered it, Reed’s Refillery has become one of our go-to spots for our kitchen and bathroom essentials, and with a 15% business-to-business discount, what’s not to love!
“I always wanted the shop to promote sustainability beyond the everyday customer. We’re really lucky in Chorley to have a wide range of small/independent businesses, many of which already have, or were looking to adopt, a more green ethos. I have been able to support them to make conscious eco-swaps which makes their workplace a more sustainable hub, whether it be by exampling how they can switch cleaning accessories (out with the cotton and in with bamboo!) or by decreasing their plastic-use by supporting them to refill their cleaning products. I work with bakers, cafes, church-groups, opticians, bars, physiotherapists, Chorley Theatre, and of course Buzz Education!”
If, like me, you’re new to the refilling process, here’s how it works at Reed’s Refillery:
- Simply grab your old empty soap bottles, coffee jars, food containers and whatever else you’d like to refill.
- Pop over to the shop.
- Weigh your empties on the scales.
- Refill them with the soaps, liquids and foods of your choice.
- Take them to the till where they’ll get weighed again by the staff.
- Pay for your eco-friendly goodies!
Although I’m yet to perfect my soap-pumping technique without overfilling my dispensers and leaving behind a soapy, sticky mess (sorry Steph!), I love venturing out to Reed’s Refillery and discovering the latest eco-friendly products in store.
We now regularly refill and stock up on lots of eco-friendly items such as:
- Biodegradable hand soaps
- Biodegradable washing-up liquid
- Recycled bin liners
- Recycled kitchen roll
- Compostable sponges
- Chemical-free, plant-based dish brushes.
Her brilliant business continues to make great strides for the Chorley community, helping people to shop locally and sustainably (without breaking the bank!), reduce their plastic consumption and minimise food waste by only buying what they need. And Steph’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed – Reed’s Refillery recently won the Planet Protector award at The Freshies, a not-for-profit awards celebration for local businesses.
“Looking back at the photos of the shop on opening day to now shows how far we’ve come. A basic range of foods and a handful of tables with a small stock collection has now become a shop floor vibrant with a huge range of products. We aim to make eco-friendly affordable, and to be recognised and celebrated as a top sustainability business really means the world.”
With the help of Reed‘s Refillery, we’re able to give back and go green at the same time – 2 pillars of our Buzz Does strategy. And although purchasing sustainable products is only one small part of our strategy to becoming a greener business, we feel incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic, zero-waste shop on our doorstep.
When you’re next on the lookout for eco-friendly shops in Chorley, be sure to keep an eye out for this gem. And please get in touch if you’ve got any other ideas on how we can continue our sustainable journey as a business, we’d love to hear them!