By: Amanda Karpiak, Nadia Colon, and Ella Cohen

Refilleries are stores that offer products in bulk from cleaning supplies to cleanser which eliminates the need for disposable packaging. If you’ve never shopped at a refillery before, it can be intimidating, but in reality, it’s pretty simple!  You fill already used bottles with common products like soap and detergent. This way, you can cut down on plastic consumption by not buying the bottle again. And now we have a refillery in Scranton! 

The Little Wild is a refillery located in downtown Scranton. The owner- Brittany Grasso Salvatori- agreed to an interview with us. Her business is an amazing addition to the city of Scranton and we hope that by learning more about her business, you will want to shop there too!

Interview

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and why/how you started off your business.

My name is Brittany Grasso Salvatori. I grew up in the area. I moved away for quite a while and did fashion and textile design for 12 years and then moved back to the area last year to start this business. I wanted to bring this type of business to downtown Scranton, because I felt it would do really well here and the people that live here and around here would appreciate something like this. I wanted to bring more plastic free options to Scranton. That is how I shopped in New York, and it cut down on my plastic consumption a lot.

Q: What sustainable products are available? 

 Laundry detergent refills are our bestseller. We sell hand and dish soap refills, toothpaste tablets, shampoos, makeup, face masks, shaving cream, razors, drier balls, facial cleansers, bamboo brushes, and many kitchen essentials. People can bring in their own containers; you don’t have to buy them. Customers can also drop off containers for other people, as well!

Q: How are they made and where are they sourced from?

All the refills are made in the US by other small businesses, most of them owned by women. I do my research when I try to find my sources because I want to make sure they are operating and shipping sustainably. I don’t order stuff that’s bubble wrapped. I will reach out to my suppliers to make sure I’m getting the most sustainable item. I use a closed loop system where I order my refills in bulk and when the containers run out those containers go back to the supplier.

Q: Is there anything else you take into account when purchasing your products?

Yes, everything is cruelty free, and everything is vegan except for the beeswax products.  

Q: What was your biggest challenge in starting your business?

Finding the right people to work with was my biggest challenge. There aren’t many sustainable businesses around here. I wanted to stick with east coast companies to cut down my carbon footprint but there aren’t that many.

Q: How has business been?

It’s been better than I thought it would be. The holiday season has been going really well. It’s still kind of slow because people don’t know that I’m here. I mainly get business through word of mouth and targeted ads on Instagram.

Q: How did you come up with the name, “Little Wild”?

It was going to be a mobile refillery and then gas prices rose, so it made more sense to buy a place and here we are!

Q: What are your hopes for the future of your business?

Expanding into food refills, start a mobile refillery to travel around the area and offer refills, and my end goal is to become obsolete! My whole purpose is to cut down on plastic waste and if big box stores are doing it, then my work here is done. 

Q: Any other things you would like people to know?

We offer a 10% discount for students! We also have Terracycle bins where you can drop off oral care and coffee waste to be recycled and these are open to anyone.

Thanks for reading!

The Little Wild Refillery is a step toward a greener Scranton! You can shop there on 343 N Washington Ave. Scranton, Pennsylvania 18503 and find them online at:

Phone Number: (570) 604-6300

HOURS:

Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday Closed