HOW IT ALL BEGAN

The Refill Mill opened its doors in Mullingar in 2020 after I returned from several years travelling abroad, where I saw how people in other countries were living zero waste lives.

In Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and London I noticed how others were responding to the climate crisis by being thrifty, recycling/upcycling and shopping in zero-waste shops.

It was honestly such a revelation!  On landing home, I set about opening The Refill Mill and establishing a supportive, creative, sustainable community that would seek to reduce waste and boost Ireland’s circular economy.

THE REFILL MILL IN ACTION

We may all want to move away from fast fashion and the sea of plastic in our groceries but just where do we start? It can feel overwhelming, even for those of us involved in minimal waste enterprise.  I’ve learned that it’s easier to make one small change at a time. We are not looking for perfection, if we all make small changes, it could have a massive impact.

Remember: Imperfect action is still action!

The Refill Mill, which won Leinster 2021 Eco Retailer of the Year, provides quality, affordable and sustainable products to help you start your zero-waste journey. Whether buying in store or online, we have a great range of pantry items and dry food, cleaning and laundry refills and sustainable cosmetics and refills.

We make a conscious effort to support Irish producers and we currently stock 35 Irish brands – soaps from Westmeath and Kildare, toothpaste from Clare and candles from Dublin. 

I always tell eager but often confused customers that the bathroom is the easiest place to make immediate, substantial changes. Some of our most popular products are shampoo and conditioner bars, bamboo toothbrushes and solid shaving soap.

When it comes to periods, plastic-free is the future and many women (especially teenagers) are adapting to reusable menstrual products. As such, we stock menstrual cups, reusable pads and period pants from such innovative brands as Pure, WUKA and &Sisters.

My aim is to make The Refill Mill a community hub to share experiences and expertise and meet like-minded souls. Part of this is achieved by offering intimate workshops on sustainable practices such as soap making, eco-cleaning and dried flower arranging. 

Let’s make steps together towards living more sustainably and be part of a community of like-minded people.

It’s more than a store – it’s a sustainable community.