Here at The Bedford Mom we love sharing about and celebrating local businesses! This month we are excited to feature Live Free Refillery, a zero waste grocery store in town. It’s owned and operated by Juliette Buell Learn all about her and Live Free Refillery below!
Tell us about yourself!
I started Live Free Refillery to share my passion for food and the environment with our community. Before opening the store I spent 15 years working in agriculture as an extension agent, a farmer, a student, and a volunteer. I first heard about the zero waste movement when I saw a video online about a young woman named Lauren Singer who fit all of her trash since 2012 into a 16oz jar. She accomplished this through reducing her consumption of products, recycling, composting, reusing, and refusing non-recyclable items. I have adopted many of these practices into my life but there is always room for improvement. While changing habits takes creativity, patience, and commitment, it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Change can be incremental and take place over time. I am excited to show people how we can all take steps towards zero-waste. Our store also stocks foods from local farms which helps preserve farmland in our community.
Tell us about Live Free Refillery!
Live Free Refillery invites us to shop for food, cleaning products, and body care products in bulk with reuseable and recyclable containers, which eliminates the need for single-use plastic packaging. Plastic waste is currently one of the biggest environmental threats to our planet. Only 9% of plastic is actually recycled and the rest is landfilled or littered into our environment. Plastic takes decades or even hundreds of years to biodegrade (depending on the type of plastic). Plastics biodegrade into smaller particles called microplastics. These particles are ingested by wildlife and even by humans through our drinking water and plastic-ware in our own kitchen! The use of disposable, cheap plastics has negative health effects on us and it is time for a new era. Live Free Refillery invites customers to bring their own cleaned, sanitized containers or use reuseable glass jars available at the store to fill up on nuts, whole grains, seeds, rices, beans, pastas, coffee, teas, spices, oils, and vinegars, and even dish and laundry soap. Just one small lifestyle change such as using reuseable grocery bags instead of plastic ones, switching to biodegradeable dental floss or using compostable trash bags could leave our environment a whole lot cleaner.
What does a “day in the life” look like for you?
First I feed my two pups, Leo the pug and Remy the black lab. Then I head over to manage my store, Live Free Refillery. I have 3 part time employees who help me provide excellent customer service, and help make sure that the store is clean and fully stocked. I spend a lot of my time doing marketing and bookkeeping and then when the store is closed I head back home to be with my husband, Tom at our home in Litchfield.
What are your goals for your business in the next 3-5 years?
Our business has been open for 3 months, so right now we are focused on getting through our first year! We are honing in on what products our customers want and streamlining our processes. I would like to hire a manager in the next year so that I can have more time to focus on the growth of the business.
What are your favorites local spots in town?
Favorite local spots in town include the Bedford Village Inn, the historic buildings on Meetinghouse Road, and Joppa Hill Farm. I still have a lot of exploring to do though.
What is your best piece of advice for people looking to start a business?
Seek others in your industry for advice and 2. Learn by doing
How can people connect with you and follow your business?
Facebook- Live Free Refillery
Instagram @livefreerefillery