NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Good Fill opened its doors on Wednesday, offering customers a unique, package-free store that's unique in the mid-state.
The store sells household cleaners, like dish soap and laundry detergent, as well as personal hygiene products like shampoo or lotion. However, instead of coming in plastic packaging, customers can pump their purchases into reusable containers.
"You can buy a container or bring your own," owner Megan Gill said. "Even a plastic container or, like a dawn dish soap bottle."
Then the price is determined based on how much of the product is put into the container.
"We weigh it and price it based on the weight," Gill said.
The unique business model aims to cut down on single-use plastics. Gill said she started the operation online two years ago after learning about the lasting damage plastic products can do to the environment.
"Plastics don't really get recycled as much as we think we do," Gill said. "This is a zero waste refill shop."
While the refilling options are one of the main attractions at the store, it also sells other household items meant to help people ditch plastics.
"We have a lot of goodies that help people move away from really wasteful things that we've gotten used to using every day," Gill said.
Gill admits when people first hear about the shop, it turns some heads.
"When I first started I thought, 'people are going to think I'm crazy, who's going to use a wooden dish brush?!'"
But as plastic-free movement has grown nation-wide and in Tennessee, so has demand
"I've tripled sales just since January, so that tells me something," Gill said. "I am shocked by how fast it's growing...they're hearing about stores like package-free shops in New York and they want that here."
The Good Fill opened on Wednesday. Gill said the shop will hold a Grand Opening in a couple of months.
