There are already so many local small business owners in Waldo that I feature on this blog…and here’s another one:  Soap Refill Station, at 7441 Broadway, a few steps south of Waldo Pizza.  Soap Refill Station just opened late last month.

The concept for this business is simple and timely:  bring your own container to the shop and refill with one of their natural soaps and cleaners.  The motto is “If you clean it, we have something eco-friendly to clean it with”.  Anne Dezort, who owns the shop with her boyfriend Adam McKay, explained that many other countries have a similar type of business, and they regularly used one while living in California.  Anne and Adam opened the first Soap Refill Station in Springfield, MO and it became very popular—people from Kansas City would drive to Springfield specifically to refill their bottles and jars! There is a second location Sante Fe, New Mexico and this is their third store.  Waldo was chosen as the site after much research and consultation with area residents and  the Waldo CID, which was “very helpful”.

So here’s how it works:  bring in your jar, bucket, bottle, whatever  (you can also purchase them at the store or take from the donated containers basket) and browse the shop, filling up on what you need:  there are cleansers for your face/ body, laundry, and home.  Weigh the contents on the scale and pay by the ounce—you can purchase as little as one ounce of product just to give it a trial run at home, or stock up large jugs to last several months.  All soaps have no artificial scents and many are allergen free.  There is also a “house brand” line of products that are mixed in Springfield.  Annie and Adam also carry several essential oils if you do want to scent the soaps you buy.   Both are very customer service oriented and will walk you through the options as to what would work best for your specific cleaning needs. This shop is perfect for your own personal shopping or to purchase special, unique scented gifts for friends and family. And of course, it’s very environmentally friendly!

Anne says ” We firmly believe that what we are doing is making a difference. We just want to be a utility for those who are already trying to make less impact on the planet. In less than two years our three shops together have kept over 30,000 containers out of the landfills, waterways, and even recycling centers.”

  Soap Refill Station is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-6pm; hours may expand in the future. The shop is just south of Waldo Pizza at 7441 Broadway.  Please stop in and welcome Adam and Annie to the Waldo community!