WastED - A Waste and Recycling Podcast by SWACO

Choose to Reuse: Reduce Your Environmental Impact One Small Decision at a Time

• Hanna Greer-Brown

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Sustainability isn't just good for the planet—it's good for our economy too. Step into the world of Central Ohio's circular economy champions who prove that small changes create meaningful impact for both our environment and community.

Meet Sam White, founder of Rewash Refillery, whose pandemic pivot transformed an LA-inspired mobile refill concept into a thriving brick-and-mortar business in Clintonville. Sam shares how customers bring their own containers to refill with concentrates like shampoo, conditioner, and cleaning products—dramatically reducing single-use plastic while supporting local sustainable brands. Her arts and crafts swap event exemplifies the joy of reuse, where treasure-hunters excitedly found the perfect blue buttons or yarn they needed without buying new.

Then discover Goodwill Columbus beyond the thrift store with Marketing Director Simone Attles. This 85-year community institution employs 1,200 people across thrift operations, business services, and programs supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Follow the fascinating journey of donated items—from color-coded tagging through five weeks on the sales floor to their Second Chance Outlet where artists and designers buy by the pound.

The economic impact of sustainability is staggering: Central Ohio's recycling and reuse industries employ thousands across nearly 400 businesses, generating a billion dollars in regional revenue. SWACO's new 'Choose to Reuse' initiative highlights this powerful connection between environmental and economic sustainability.

Hanna, Joe and both of our guests emphasize starting small with sustainability efforts. As Sam notes, "One change is one change and that's tangible." Use what you have, make gradual shifts, and remember sustainability isn't about perfection—it's about progress.    Visit SWACO.org to learn more about Choose to Reuse and connect with us on social media to suggest future podcast topics.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Waste Ed, a waste and recycling podcast by SWACO.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to Episode 8 of Waste. Ed and Hannah and I are always excited about these episodes, but this month especially is a special one. April is Earth Month, and just about everything we do here at SWACO involves enhanced sustainability for Central Ohio and thus our world holistically.

Speaker 3:

I'm Hannah Greer-Brown, Director of Communications here at SWACO.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Joe Lombardi, Executive Director of SWACO.

Speaker 3:

In fact, we are launching a new initiative for Earth Day called Choose to Reuse. It's all about helping people go beyond recycling and composting by looking for ways to reduce and reuse items they already have on hand. Throughout this episode, we'll tell you more about Choose to Reuse. Our guests today are certainly doing their parts, not just in April, but every single day. Sam White is the founder of Rewash Refillery and Simone Adels is Director of Marketing for Goodwill Columbus. Welcome to you both. Thanks for having us Good to be here.

Speaker 2:

Let's stay with the Earth Day theme off the top here. What does Earth Day, and therefore Earth Month, mean to both of you, and why are both of you so passionate about this work? And we'll start with you, Sam.

Speaker 4:

Well, I think it's really great opportunity to bring awareness and education to children and adults alike and just bring attention to all aspects of natural resource management and environmental change.

Speaker 2:

Simone.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so it is. It's something we think about 365 days a year at Goodwill, and it's not just in the items that we sell, right? So sustainability for us means also building communities where everyone has a chance to thrive, and that's through our employment programs, through our jobs and, of course, through shopping at our Goodwill stores.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and Goodwill is a big name. It's a brand in itself and its mission of awareness, and we all certainly talk about it. But, sam, let's begin with you and Rewash Refillery. Some listeners may not know about your respective mission and purpose.

Speaker 4:

Well, we are a soap refillery and sustainable market in Clintonville where people can bring their own container from home to refill. They can also purchase a container from us. But the main objective is to reduce plastic waste. We also sell a variety of other sustainable items that don't rely on plastic. So much so compostable packaging and things like that.

Speaker 3:

I know we recently had a chance to connect over Zoom and just kind of get to know each other a little bit better, and you shared with me at that time that you were inspired by a trip to Los Angeles. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about what you saw when you were there and what you were able to bring back to Columbus?

Speaker 4:

So in 2020, I was living and working in Las Vegas and the pandemic happened and everyone in Vegas really went on lockdown.

Speaker 4:

We all lost our jobs. It was a very different experience in Las Vegas than a lot of other places in the country, but I had some friends here in Columbus and I thought, just for the meantime, let me escape to somewhere that doesn't feel as overwhelming and scary. So I came to Columbus and my friends helped me build a van that was inspired by Refillery LA that would travel Los Angeles County and do home deliveries and home refills, and I thought to myself, oh, I could do that in Las Vegas. So I had friends here in Columbus and we built out a van for me, and the goal initially was to go back to Las Vegas and have this service in Vegas. But as time went on, vegas was not recovering as quickly and I had a really great opportunity to set up at downtown Columbus and it sort of just took off like wildfire then. So I started selling in March 2021 and opened my brick and mortar in September 2021.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's great. That's great. All that from just an idea from what you saw in LA and thought it could work here in Columbus and obviously the rest is history. Right, that's great. That is great. Sam Simone, Goodwill is well known and such a trusted name. There are 155 chapters nationally and 15 here in Ohio, if I'm not mistaken. Tell our listeners more about your chapter here in Columbus.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely Nope, you're all correct. So across the state of Ohio we have several different chapters, across the country 155. We all are all rooted in thrift right, so we all have some sort of secondhand thrift operation. But missions change. So we've got neighbors in states that do more with justice-involved individuals. We've got folks that provide more for children and childcare. Here in Columbus we've been operating for just celebrated our 85th anniversary, excuse me, yeah and we have a history in serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities here in Franklin and Marion counties. So we operate three business lines our again Thrift, which is consistent across all Goodwills. We also have services called Business Services where we do unarmed security and custodial work in many of the state-owned buildings downtown. And then we have a People Services operation where we provide day services, residential services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as workforce development training for just about anybody who's looking for their next best job. So we do a lot here in Columbus.

Speaker 2:

So it's more. It's more Than just a thrift store.

Speaker 1:

It absolutely is.

Speaker 2:

It's helping others and it's as I always say, it's people helping people. So yeah, that's great.

Speaker 3:

By any chance. Do you happen to know how many people you employ?

Speaker 1:

We do, we currently employ a little over 1,200 people. So 1,200 people, one of the largest employers in Central Ohio and Columbus. And those folks range in all sorts of backgrounds new American populations, folks with physical and behavioral disabilities. So we're so proud of our workforce and so proud to provide jobs to some folks who maybe otherwise would have a tougher time finding employment.

Speaker 3:

That's really incredible. I don't know that many people connect sustainability and economic development, but I love that we're talking about job creation, because our new initiative, choose to Reuse, generates jobs too. Think about these numbers the recycling reliant industry in Central Ohio employs thousands of individuals that either reuse or remanufacture materials that are otherwise discarded, and these nearly 400 businesses employ those people and generate a billion dollars in revenue for our region. So the more of all of us can reuse and reduce, the more we can generate good jobs that encourage a more sustainable world.

Speaker 2:

And that's a great point, hannah, because I don't think a lot of people understand, when we talk about sustainability or let's just not talk about sustainability, let's talk about recycling and let's talk about reuse and repurposing, that there's an economic driver to that, that it's not only environmentally correct, but it also employs people and creates jobs. So that's a great point, hannah. Whether it's donations to the Goodwill or sustainable products at Rewash, you're both helping people make sustainable choices each and every day. Sam, let's talk a little bit about bulk operations available for refill. Now, for those that know me, shampoo is not a problem for me, but things like shampoo, lotions, home cleaning products and laundry detergents. So how does that work?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so people can bring their own container from home to refill. I like to remind people that plastic inherently is not evil. It's single-use plastic. So reuse that laundry detergent bottle that you have. It's really durable and it's really great to use and reuse. So we'll weigh your bottle, we'll tear your bottle for you and then talk to you about our different choices. So we do have household cleaners, laundry detergent, dish soap, hand soap really anything for your home that you would need. We have most spaces covered and, by chance, if you happen to stop in and you don't have a container with you, we've got some brand new ones for purchase or we have some sanitized containers that we've got usually on hand.

Speaker 3:

That's great. Yeah, it sounds like you've got your bases covered. So, whether you're kind of know that you're headed to rewash refillery and are taking your container with you, or you're just out shopping and pop in, you've got it covered. You've got containers there that people can purchase and then reuse the next time they come back into the shop. What are the most popular items that people pick up when they come in?

Speaker 4:

I brought some with me. By far our most popular item is shampoo and conditioner bars. They not only help reduce plastic waste, but they're super convenient. After shampoo and conditioner bars is going to be laundry detergent and dish soap, they're really easy to switch, you know, from your traditional store brands to something a little bit cleaner, more sustainable and refillable. After that we've got some local brands like Leafy Toilet Paper, which is a bamboo toilet paper, and the guys are great. They're from Columbus.

Speaker 3:

We sell a lot of those types of items that are real easy to switch and have a little bit better sustainable option. That's great. I know I've come in before to pick up like little hostess gifts or other things that for events that I've been going to, and you guys have a wide array of things. For the items that come in bulk do you charge by?

Speaker 4:

ounce. Yes, so we charge by ounce, and I like to remind everyone that the items, the liquids that we sell are concentrates. So myself and my team really like to have a conversation with everyone about your usage amounts. So if you're using a traditional laundry detergent at home and then you come to us, your usage amount is probably going to be just one ounce two tablespoons, and it's much more concentrated. So we walk through that process with our customers to make sure that they know that they're using a lot less and the prices are really going to be comparable to a Target or a Whole Foods price point, something that we can relate it to like a seventh generation product, something like that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it will take me a year to come to your store to refill, so I'm not sure if I'm a good customer for you or not, but especially if it's shampoo, I know that Sounds like a little goes a long way.

Speaker 3:

John Simone, similarly to you, let's talk some numbers. How many items are donated to your Goodwill chapters every day?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. Here at Goodwill Columbus we see a lot of stuff. We have 21 donation doors across Franklin County, whether that's a donation center attached to a store or we have standalone donation locations, it can range I believe Saturdays are a big day but ranges in the thousands. We've got some donation locations that are accepting a couple dozen things a day and then we've got some heavy hitters that are truly seeing hundreds of donors every single day. So it ranges on the day. It ranges on the weather Also. It's a big one for us.

Speaker 3:

What are some of the most popular things people pick up when they come in?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so, in terms of shopping, you'll see everything right. It's collectibles. We both shop in-store and online shopgoodwillcom slash Columbus, where you can browse more collectible items, vintage items, things like Beanie Babies and Legos that really have a very specific and niche crowd. But when you walk into a Goodwill, you'll find everything from textiles, home goods, small housewares, small electronics, and that's exactly what we accept. So we see a lot of clothing. There is a lot, I'm sure you guys know. A lot of textiles, a lot of clothing. I think the latest stat says we have enough clothing on this planet for six generations. So yeah, there's a lot, and fast fashion isn't our friend either, so we're always looking for ways to keep things on the floor, find second uses for them and give them as many chances as possible to be sold at Goodwill.

Speaker 3:

That's great. Talk us through the process. Once we donate something, what happens to it once it leaves the back of our car and winds up in the hands of your employees?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. It's a fascinating process. It's one of my favorite things to talk about. So as a donation comes into Goodwill, it is tagged with a color. So we've got again, as we talk about those employment opportunities individuals processing and tagging each article of clothing deemed for the floor with a certain color. That color goes out on the floor and it sits there for about five weeks. On the fifth week it is marked down to 50%. So again, we're really hoping that someone walks in and says this is it, this is what I was looking for, whether it's grandma's sweater or new pair of running shoes or anything in between. From there that's got a week at 50% and then it goes to our Second Chance outlet. So now we've got another opportunity. Our outlet is located off Rice Road in Reynoldsburg and you buy items there by bulk, so you buy them by the pound. So we see a really interesting group of shoppers there a lot of artists, a lot of fashion designers, a lot of folks looking for clothing in bulk resellers, and that's a facility that is open to the public.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and if you think of all three of our organizations, every day we're answering questions about can I bring this, what do I do with this, am I allowed to put this there? And part of what we're trying to do in a new strategy that we'll be rolling out is talk more about reuse, reduction, repurposing and so. On our SWACA website, we have a great feature where you tell us what you want to recycle or dispose of properly and we point you in the right direction. On that note, simone, are there donations that and I'll put this in air quotes you can't accept it to goodwill.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and we love the SWACO website. It's inspired us for our own donation page because we get the same questions. Right, but, yes, anything hazardous. We are always looking out for the safety of our employees. So hazardous materials broken glass, as well as large appliances right. So there are other nonprofits in town that will take large appliances, construction materials that's not something that we sell at our stores. So if you visit goodwillcolumbusorg, slash donate. We've got a whole list of acceptable donations. It's just a PDF right now.

Speaker 1:

It's not as cool as the SWACO website but we've got some plans to enhance that in the future.

Speaker 2:

So, when in doubt, donate it right.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely. We talk about the job creation, we talk about the opportunities. So anytime we open a donation facility, that's exactly what we're doing we're allowing someone to do that job, to decide is this something we can sell in our stores, stores. And I think we're also looking for a lot of partnerships that will allow us to continue to find uses for maybe things that are not always the most desirable things on a Goodwill floor. You know, one item is baby items, you know so, baby equipment, strollers. It's not something we sell. There's recall purposes and all sorts of stuff. But we've had some recent conversations with local nonprofits on okay, if we get a stroller, is there someone we can find that can use this? So, when in doubt, donate it, bring it to us. And I think, between our team and some new partnerships, we're always going to look for a place for it to go outside of the landfill.

Speaker 2:

And Sam, I find rewash fascinating. People just don't think about the kind of things that you're doing at Rewash right, and I think it's a unique situation that you have there. And are there refillable solutions you're addressing today that maybe weren't available just a year, two years ago?

Speaker 4:

I think the most exciting aspect of this is, although our product range is very similar to what it's been for years, more national brands are getting on board. It's more recognizable. So, Dr Bronner's, we have a partnership with them and they are really investing time, effort, money into their refillable programs. So we carry a range of five of their scents and they pay for their containers to go back to California to be sanitized and refilled and they're leading the way as far as national brands. We've also talked a little bit with the brand Clean Colt to see if they might be able to pilot a program with us. We carry a lot of the same floor cleaner, shampoo, conditioner but more national brands realizing that this is a want and need has been exciting to see.

Speaker 2:

That's great, obviously great for your business, because that keeps more and more people. The name recognition yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 4:

It's a little easier for somebody to make a transition when they already know the product and the standard quality, because it can feel overwhelming or the change from your routine can always be a little uncomfortable, but when you can lean on, okay, well, I know that this is still a product that I used and I used to buy somewhere else and I can just refill it. It sort of takes the edge off of anxiety of starting this.

Speaker 3:

Well, Sam, I drove by Rewash recently and it was hopping. Tell me about the events you've been doing over on the weekends.

Speaker 4:

We recently just hosted our first arts and crafts swap earlier this month. Swap is a difficult name for us to use because it wasn't a traditional bring something and take something. We had been collecting donations for about six weeks and I anticipated that people would bring us one bag of yarn, but it pretty quickly became a thing and people were bringing tubs of great grandma's yarn or fabric or notions and they were just showing up in droves bringing all of this stuff, which was exciting because at first our basement was filling and we were like, wow, you know, people are really interested. They're bringing these items that they don't want to end up in the landfill. But then the second aspect was okay, are they going to come to take or am I going to be stuck with all of this in the basement? So it was extremely rewarding and my emotional basket was filled this past weekend because people did come and they were very excited and they rummaged and treasure hunted and found and took and so many people were so excited.

Speaker 4:

I kept hearing time and time again is oh my gosh, I was just going to go buy a zipper, oh wow, and I just found this. Or I needed blue buttons oh my gosh, I just found blue buttons. Can you believe it? Like the amount of times that people were saying they were looking for something specific and then they were able to find it with us. It's like the best feeling because you've made their day and saved something from the landfill and reduced the middleman, so to speak. So it was really successful and I think we'll plan on doing it again now that I know that people will show up and I'm not going to be stuck with all of this stuff. So we're excited to do that again in the future.

Speaker 2:

It was kind of an arts and crafts Woodstock.

Speaker 4:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

With a little bit calmer folks right.

Speaker 4:

Well, I mean, there was definitely.

Speaker 2:

I think maybe five people will show and then 105. Yes, exactly, you just find out where it is.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and they definitely came. There was some excitement, though, and a few folks came multiple times to see what we were still bringing out from the basement, because it was overwhelming. Our basement on High Street was just filled with stuff. It's great. Yeah, it was great, it was a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

Simone, we've partnered with the Goodwill for a donation loyalty rewards program called Do Good. Tell us a little bit about how that works.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. We're so grateful for SWACO's support. We were recipients of the Community Waste Reduction Grant this year for a new program called Do Good. It is a donor loyalty rewards program and it's the first time we've done this. So we've typically said thank you at the donation door, maybe handed you a receipt, but that was really the end of the transaction. And with this new mobile-based experience, we're allowing folks to actually gain points for every time they drop off a donation at Goodwill and redeem those points for all sorts of things and experiences. But really build a community, a community of people who are saying, hey, this is better for our community, this is better for our planet, let's make a donation to Goodwill and let's make that a repeat behavior.

Speaker 2:

As we wrap up our conversation, there's a good prompt on your website, sam, with your mission. It says we encourage our community to be a little bit better with each decision they make and I like that, because I always talk and I know Hannah is probably tired of me saying this is that we have to move the runners and not hit the home run every single time we're up to bat. So we tell people all the time you can start small with your recycling and reduce and reuse efforts. Don't get overwhelmed and just let it build from there. A closing thought, sam, on that.

Speaker 4:

Sure. So all of this can be very overwhelming. When people come into our shop, I really try to reinforce to them just finish what you've got already at home and then come back and visit us, because it's not going to help the situation if you just went to Costco and purchased X, y and Z and then you come to my shop. Use what you've already got first. That's step one and don't get overwhelmed.

Speaker 4:

One change is one change and that's a tangible item. So we meet people where they're at and don't want them to get overwhelmed, because I'm a perfectionist, a lot of us are, and if you feel that it's an all or nothing, we're not going to make progress. So if you can slowly start to change one behavior at a time, it's going to add up, because you're going to talk to your friends or your children or your neighbors and that's actually how we get. A lot of business is word of mouth, but when we can show people that it's not difficult and it's not overwhelming, just a small step, I think that will lead to the greater solution and greater good, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

I have to echo what Sam said. You know, it's even in the intentionality of the name do good, right. It's not called be perfect, it's not called get it all right. It's the small intentional changes of hey, let me think about this a little bit differently and I totally agree it's not about solving all the world's problems at once. That's, ironically, not sustainable, right.

Speaker 1:

We want people to be in this for the long haul. We want people to be thinking about this long term. So, yes, it can be overwhelming in the world of fast fashion and prime and one day delivery and new things and new trends. But I love what Sam even said about the individual finding of the blue button. You know that thrill, that idea that hey, this exists, this, this. It's walking into a Goodwill and saying this is exactly what I was looking for and I didn't have to. You know, drop ship it. You know, immediately off the internet it's, it's a great feeling. So that little feeling you feel when you find the blue button or you find the grandma sweater or you find the pair of tennis shoes, is just one piece of this larger puzzle of us all trying to live a little bit better.

Speaker 3:

Love that. Well, sticking with the theme of starting small, I did want to just leave a couple of closing comments about Shoes to Reuse. This new initiative really is a simple reminder that changing the small and large ways you consume goods and services can go a long way. 76% of materials that come to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill have the potential to be reused, recycled or composted, so let's all work together to bring that number down, which is going to help us extend the life of the landfill, save precious resources and create more jobs for our whole region. If you want to learn more about Choose to Reuse, go to SWACOorg.

Speaker 2:

Simone Sam. Thank you both. This has been a great conversation and I applaud your efforts for everything you do every month, but especially in April that's Earth Month and to our listeners. If you'd like to know more about what we do, visit our website anytime at SWACOorg. We also want to hear from you If you have ideas for future podcast episodes. Connect with us on any of our social channels or you can always drop us an email. Until the next time, this is Waste Ed, a waste and recycling podcast by Swako.