Allison Burgund’s sustainability story began at a very young age. Her father was an attorney for an environmental protection agency, and she has aunts, uncles and most of her family invested in this line of work in some way, shape or form.

Her renewed vigor began when she visited a recycling plant with her second-grade daughter for a school trip. At the facility, guides explained that China was not buying the recycling the plant produced, so the trash was compacted and stored there. Burgund then realized that recycling had become a business before it was a way to save the planet. When she returned home, she started a one-month trash audit of her family, during which she saved every piece of trash her family of four generated. The results shocked her and were the final push she needed to open her business in an effort to give back to the earth and her community.

In 2019, Burgund launched Fill & Refill in Edwards, Colorado. The business identifies itself as “an unpackaged store dedicated to reducing single waste plastics” by providing “refillable, eco-conscious, sustainable, bath, body and home products.” They sell hand soap, laundry soap, shampoo and conditioner, dish washer soap, cleaning products, lotions and DIY ingredients, such as argon oil and rosehip seed oil, to name a few. All of Burgund’s products are sourced from local vendors.

“You save energy by using local products,” she explains. Every bottle and product needs to come from somewhere. Using local products saves gas, production cost and supports the community. Burgund says one of her vendors, Solandra, uses locally-sourced ingredients to craft her hand soaps. “It gives you a wonderful, silky feel and is all natural — a win all the way around,” she adds.

When COVID-19 hit the United States, it initially seemed as though small businesses that required high contact, like Fill & Refill, would not make it.

“We closed in March and April for the greater good, but I was definitely concerned,” Burgund shares. She was worried about her business, but also for the increase in shipping materials and other disposable goods that resulted from quarantine. Fortunately, the store was able to reopen June 1 and actually saw a consistent uptake in new clients. Burgund believes that because people were forced to stay inside, they saw what they were consuming — and the waste those products generated — constantly. “People come in and say thank you,” she explains, proving that many in the community are looking for more sustainable options.

The store has also adjusted by opening on limited hours due to the pandemic: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., as of reopening. Burgund asks that customers clean their containers before coming in to refill, and then use the alcohol-based disinfectant outside the store before entering. If possible, she will refill the bottles herself, but, if not, the pumps will be disinfected after each use. Due to the increase in demand, the company has placed small refill stations across Edwards for those unable to come into the store and has created a partnership with local company All the Good Things, which completes deliveries to customers’ homes. Burgund is also planning to expand into a bigger store come August to accommodate high demand.

Converting to a sustainable lifestyle may seem daunting, but Burgund says that it just takes getting your feet wet to start. “My number one recommendation? Start with your laundry detergent,” she says. “Those containers are made well; you don’t need a new one, just new product.”

In fact, Burgund prefers that people bring in their own containers, rather than purchase one of her reusable glass bottles. “Landfills have less than 100 years until they have to find another place for trash,” she explains. The less you can contribute to landfills, the better. Other easy ways to start are with their natural deodorant, sold in a compostable cardboard tube, or the reusable napkins that replace wasteful paper towels.

“You have the opportunity to possibly save five bottles a month. That equates to over 50 a year per person,” Burgund says. She encourages customers to pick their top five most used products and swap them out. For most people that’s hand soap, dish soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion. Reusing the old bottles and refilling them with locally-made, natural products is one of the surest ways to limit your waste.

“Small acts, repeat often — that’s my motto,” she says.

Hopefully, more people like Burgund can create places where small acts can happen more often.

210 Edwards Village Blvd / A110

970.331.3444 / fillandrefill.com

Originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM

Fill & Refill: Edwards, Colorado