By Barb Brouwer
Contributor
When it comes to healing planet Earth, every little bit helps.
This is the premise behind Anna DeWolff’s new business, Choose Refill, which opens July 19 in the former site of Hardy Home Decorating, near Boston Pizza.
Customers are invited to take their empty containers to donate for others or fill with their choice of household cleaning, laundry and personal toiletry items, all of which are organic and made with excellent ingredients, including essential oils, said DeWolff.
“I’m quite excited about how this ‘refillery’ will reduce consumption of single-use plastics,” she said, noting she has five main suppliers, with a range of price points. “It’s an Earth friendly way to do business.”
DeWolff is proud that all her suppliers are Canadian, except for Vancouver-born Sapodilla, which relocated to Ohio. Other suppliers include Quebec’s Oneka, Live for Tomorrow from Vancouver, Island Essentials in Victoria, and Ucluelet’s Mint Cleaning Products that DeWolff said smell lovely and work well.
“I have been diligent in researching ingredients,” she said. “And I have literally tried everything, which has been quite a lot of fun.”
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One of her longtime favourite product lines is Phillip Adam shampoos and conditioners. She is thrilled that thanks to a phone request to the company she will be the first to sell his products in bulk.
Retired and wanting to do something, DeWolff knew she needed to find something that gave her satisfaction while being Earth friendly.
DeWolff was excited that her participation in the recent Shuswap Launch-a-Preneur program garnered the Public Choice Award.
“I was super thrilled because I knew I was getting my message across,” she said. “The program taught me a lot and I was very grateful for all the help and support I received.”
DeWolff said she also made really good friends among the 14 who remained in the program that began with 26 participants.
A strong believer in community, DeWolff has hired two Launch-a-Preneur participants to work in her store and will feature products of four in total. Frog Friendly coffee will be available in refillable tins that feature the artistry of Otto Phanschmidtt. Stock will also include beeswax wraps, shampoo bars and handcrafted items.
“I think it’s really important to support local businesses,” says DeWolff, who is delighted to be contributing to the economic growth of other businesses and the community as a whole.
Opening week begins July 19 at 9:30.
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