What can we answer?
How do I use the refill station?
Bring a container from home, stop at the front desk with an employee and get a tare weight of each container, fill from the buckets, growlers, jars, etc. and don't be afraid to ask for help! Once you have the amount you desire in the container, bring them back up to the front desk to get a final weight. Our staff members will ring up each item, do the math, ask if you have a rewards account, and send you on your merry way!
Oops, I forgot my container! What should I do?
We have a small free container shelf that is typically filled with donated containers from our community. These containers are sprayed with Isopropyl Alcohol to sanitize and pre-weighed but sometimes containers sneak by us without these steps. We also have containers for purchase.
What is available for refill?
Check the Refill Station webpage for an updated menu of current refill options.
Can I donate containers to the free shelf?
Very possibly! Unfortunately we are limited on storage space within
each of our locations. We also do not have direct access to a recycling bin! So we are truly embodying reducing, reusing, and repurposing anything that comes into the shop. It's best to give us a call before heading in to be sure we can accept your containers as well as follow these guidelines:
Containers must be CLEAN and DRY including removing labels and
sticky residue. If the container has any lingering scents, we will not
be able to accept.
Limit of 5 containers donated per customer per visit.
There is sufficient room on the shelves.
BYOC Co staff reserve the opportunity to refuse containers if they do not follow these parameters. You must take them with you if we cannot accept them.
What happened to the Terracycle bins?
There are a few reasons why we are no longer hosting Terracycle bins in our stores.
Terracycle operates on a reliance on third party Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs). Although it seems that Terracycle is hopeful these MRFs are processing the materials and providing a recycling process, we have not seen the transparency from these MRFs in that process. Basically, they warehouse the material and work to find buyers for that material for the future. That gives us a hint that, most likely, our trash is sitting in these facilities for long periods of time. They do not currently offer a guarantee to a second life to the products they accept.
This is a large cost we have taken on since starting to take in these items that can no longer sustain at this time.
Ultimately, our goals are to focus on repurposing and reusing through the refill stations. Although recycling is a gateway to accessibility in learning how to lead a lifestyle that is friendly to the planet, accepting difficult to recycle items also feeds into "wish-cycling" and very possibly, these items ending up in the landfill anyway.
Where do the bulk plastic containers go when they are empty?
Since we are not 100% closed loop, the answer to this question is–it depends. Anything that comes in a 30 gallon or 55 gallon drum can be cleaned and refilled over and over again. For 5 gallon and 1 gallon containers that we cannot return, we collect them for a bit until we can offer a bunch up to the community for reuse. This is so folks who were anticipating buying buckets for park clean ups, composting, or home projects, can reuse our buckets rather than purchase new ones.
Do you make any products?
BYOC Co. staff currently make the Toilet Cakes and are always looking for fun new recipes to try!
Are you hiring?
When we are looking for someone to join our team, we will include in our newsletter, post on social media, and add to our website homepage. When we know, you'll know!