How refill stores are changing the way we reduce waste
[February 24, 2026] By
AYA DIAB
Refilling a bottle instead of throwing it away has become a popular way
for people to reduce waste — a small, tangible action in response to
larger environmental problems.
But whether refilling actually makes a difference depends on how these
systems are used and what they replace. Scores of refill stores have
opened in recent years as retailers and customers seek fresh ways to
reduce waste. Some brands are also using specialized recycling programs
for tricky packaging.
At Lufka Refillable Zero Waste store in Tampa, customers bring in
reusable containers to fill with soap, shampoo and cleaning supplies
instead of buying products in single-use packaging. The idea is to cut
down on packaging waste by reusing what people already own.
Customers' containers are weighed first, then filled. They're charged by
the amount of product added. Over time, that reuse can add up.
For customer Julie Hughes, the act of refilling feels rewarding. Hughes
discovered Lufka two years ago while looking for skincare products and
has returned regularly, drawn by the ability to reuse packaging rather
than discard it.
“When you do something positive, you get a little bit of like a dopamine
hit and you feel good,” Hughes said on a recent trip to buy liquid hand
soap. “There are so many big problems in the world, but we can’t solve
all of the big problems, but we do have control over our choices.”
Some shoppers have been refilling the same containers for six years,
said Lufka founder Kelly Hawaii.
“Just imagine how much waste they’ve personally stopped consuming
because they have that one container for that one product,” Hawaii said.
A new spin on old packaging systems
Refillable packaging is less a new invention than a return to earlier
distribution models. Many industries historically relied on refillable
or returnable containers, with familiar examples in the U.S. including
soda, beer and dairy in the recent past.
A 2020 study of reusable packaging explains that a shift to single-use
packaging took hold mainly because disposable systems simplified
logistics and reduced handling costs for producers and retailers. That
transition contributed to a steady increase in packaging production and
waste over time as reuse infrastructure declined, according to the study
published in Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in reuse as part of a
broader move toward a “circular economy” that keeps products and
materials in use longer to limit waste. The Public Interest Research
Group estimates there are hundreds of refillable stores around the
country, part of what it calls a “generation of new businesses” aimed at
reducing packaging waste.
Larger chains and brands are also offering refillable options and other
innovations. Lush Cosmetics sells certain products “naked,” without
packaging, and offers discounts to customers who return containers from
its other products. The reusable packaging platform Loop, available in
France, partners with major brands such as Nestle and Coca-Cola to
distribute products in durable containers that are collected, cleaned
and refilled for reuse.
Despite this resurgence, refillable packaging makes up a small share of
the overall market. The systems face barriers to expansion, including
hygiene requirements and the need for systems to collect and process
containers, according to the study, which also noted that these
additional processing and cleaning costs may make them more expensive.
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Aaralyn Holt refills bottles at Lufka Refillable Zero Waste store
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
 The ‘payback period’ for reusable
containers
Reusing vessels for everyday products has advantages over recycling
single-use packages, as long as people follow a thoughtful approach,
according to experts.
Shelie Miller, a University of Michigan professor who studies
sustainability, said consumers should think of the phrase “reduce,
reuse, recycle” as a priority order, meaning reuse should generally
come before recycling.
Still, reuse doesn’t automatically mean lower environmental impact.
Durable reusable containers typically require more energy and
materials to produce, so they need to be used long enough to offset
the resources that go into them, Miller said. What this means is
that the environmental advantage emerges only after repeated use
spreads those initial impacts across many uses, which Miller refers
to as a “payback period.” How much water and electricity consumers
use at home to clean reusable products also factors in.
A 2021 study by Miller and a colleague examined reusable products
including drinking straws, forks and coffee cups and measured their
payback periods in separate categories including greenhouse gas
emissions, water use and energy demand. The study found that a
ceramic coffee mug must be reused between 4 and 32 times before
outperforming disposable cups on those measures, which represented
faster paybacks than reusable coffee cups made from metal or
plastic.
Convenience also plays a role. If refilling requires a special trip,
the added transportation emissions can cancel out the benefits,
making refill systems most effective when they fit into existing
routines.
“If you are making dedicated trips just to reduce packaging, it
actually can be worse for the environment than if you use the
single-use product,” said Miller.
Handling hard-to-recycle items
Large beauty retailers such as Ulta Beauty and Sephora are also
partnering with Pact Collective, a nonprofit that collects
hard-to-recycle beauty packaging through in-store bins.
Carly Snider, executive director of Pact Collective, said the
program collects packaging made of mixed materials that regular
recycling programs can't process or small pieces measuring less than
2 inches (5 centimeters) — like pumps, droppers and sample-sized
containers — that fall through the cracks of machines at recycling
facilities.
“There’s specific things with beauty packaging that makes it really
difficult,” said Snider.
Pact routes those materials through specialized processing,
diverting large volumes of material from landfills, said Snider.
Experts emphasize that refilling and recycling programs aren’t a
perfect solution, but when they replace single-use packaging and fit
into everyday life, they can help reduce waste.
“Small things do add up,” Miller said. “And so when you have
millions of people who are all doing small things, that really can
make a difference, make a change.”
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