Businesses that CARE: Case Studies
Green Road Refill
2655 Main st. #22 Brewster, MA 02631
774-216-1409
www.greenroadrefill.com
What motivated your business to adopt eco-friendly practices or develop sustainable product lines?
Green Road Refill is motivated by our mission to reduce Cape Cod’s plastic footprint. Our goal is to give our customers a fun and hopeful way to live more sustainably.
What specific operational changes have you made to reduce your business’s environmental footprint? These could fall in the category of energy use, waste management, and/or water conservation.
Green Road Refill is all about reuse! We partner with companies that share the same environmental values as we do. We belong to a closed loop program with our main refill brand – Rustic Strength – mailing back empty 30, 50 and 5 gallon barrels and buckets to be rinsed reused and refilled. We package our online orders and bag our inshore purchases with reused boxes and bags. All go our shelving and even the floor in our shop is up- cycled. Our goal is to produce as little waste as possible.
How do you communicate your sustainability efforts to customers and the broader Cape Cod community?
For us it’s easy – it’s what our brand is all about!
What measurable impacts have your sustainability efforts had on your business and the environment? Such as Initial investment, Payback Period, Annual Savings, Waste Reduction.
Although I don’t have a specific amount I would estimate we have saved thousands of dollars by reusing materials on the Green Road
Have you faced any challenges in implementing sustainable practices, and how have you overcome them?
Ironically sometimes orders will come packed in plastic – when this happens I usually make a phone call to the company and directly ask them to ship our products plastic free. Usually they are accommodating.
Can you share any success stories or significant achievements related to your eco-friendly practices?
We have refilled over 20,000 bottles! The consciousness of plastic waste and the importance of its reduction has truly grown since 2018 when we first launched Green Road Refill. At the beginning we had a lot of explaining and education to do now new customers search us out & enter the shop everyday aware of the importance, and asking for guidance.
Are there any additional innovative practices or technologies you are considering adopting?
What advice would you give to other businesses looking to become more eco-friendly?
Start by taking an audit with in your business of what you’re doing now. Whether it’s asking what kind of cleaning products do we use? Are they toxic ? How much waste are we producing? How can we reduce it? Every small step can add up to make a big difference!