Sustainable Spotlight: The Releafery
The Releafery is a small business in Scranton that prioritizes sustainability and zero waste. It has a variety of different products that are made in the shop and from different creators. You can shop for eco-friendly products like bamboo toothbrushes or reusable pantyliners. It is also a great place to buy skin/body products that are made sustainably.
Lindsey Vollrath, the owner of the Releafery, has answered some interview questions below. We are honored to highlight this eco-friendly business! We hope that through learning about this business, you’re inspired to shop there!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and why/how you started off your business.
Lindsey: I’m from outside of Pittsburgh, PA and I moved to Scranton 12 years ago. I’ve always loved crafting and creating. My undergrad is in integrative arts, a mix of art history and studio arts. I didn’t pursue this degree, but I went on to become a teacher. (I teach kids with autism at Monticello School in SSD). I took a soap making class about 7 years ago and fell in love with the process. Soap led to learning to make other products, and The Releafery was born. It grew slowly as I took my time formulating different recipes, and one day I came across a space that seemed perfect for a shop and the rest is history!
Q: What does your business sell? What sustainable products are available?
L: I sell products that I create such as soaps, sugar scrubs, lip balms, gemstone roll ons, CBD bath bombs, clay face masks, bath salts, etc. I also carry an array of kitchen & home, and beauty products made by other environmentally conscious creators. Everything at The Releafery is packaged in recyclable, reusable, or refillable containers, and some products have no packaging at all. Our goal is to avoid single-use plastics and offer more sustainable options in the bath and beauty world.
Q: Do you want to share a little bit about how your soaps, scrubs, and other products are made?
L: All of the products with The Releafery logo are handcrafted in the workshop right behind the shop. We create everything in small batches to ensure the highest quality and attention to detail. We use a variety of plant butters and oils, essential oils, clays, herbs, and salts. Nearly all of our products are vegan, about 98%! We also offer workshops that teach the basic methods and procedures for making some of our products.
Q: Why is being a sustainable and eco-friendly business important to you?
L: I’ve been interested in sustainability and learning about ways we can adjust the way we live to positively affect our planet’s health for quite a while. I’ve always been a bit sickened by the way we trash our planet and capitalize on wasteful consumerism. In particular, the loads of waste that surround holidays and big events or celebrations. I have certainly been guilty of making my own wasteful contributions, and it doesn’t feel good. Once I gained the insight of how our actions affect the future of the planet, I couldn’t unlearn it or ignore it. It became clear, pretty early on that if I was going to start a business, I would have to consider the environmental impact of the products and the packaging.
Q: Are there any other sustainable practices that your business takes part in? Anything else you’d like us to know?
L: One thing I really enjoy is creating customized gifts or favors for weddings, showers, or other celebrations. I love being able to offer waste-free options that are special and personalized for events that can be challenging to fashion in a sustainable way. Also, an area of my business I give extra focus to is shipping. I reuse any packaging I receive from other companies in my own orders. I use biodegradable shipping tape, biodegradable packing peanuts when necessary, and recycled/recyclable shipping labels.
You can support this shop online, https://www.thereleafery.com, or in store—960 Prescott Ave. in Scranton. You can also add them on Instagram @the_releafery and on Facebook here to keep updated with their new products and other information.
