Capitalism for Green

This week:  How refilleries can look different in different communities; some offer only refillable products and others have a more general focus with some refill options (like Lemon & Lavender) How location & customer traffic impacts discoverability & volume Workshops! Brandy’s an expert workshop leader and has advice on different types of workshops, how to market them, ticketing...

This week:  Customer demographics Approaches to involving college students & overcoming hurdles to make people feel welcome in a new shopping environment  Sustainability movements in communities, especially in sports (shout out KC Current for bringing reusable cups & composting to major league sports)* The overlap between the service industry and refill shop industry as well as b...

This week:  How Caitlin became Owner of Refill Emporium Partnerships  Social Media Making decisions on packaging, especially when it comes to making sure that the store is accountable for the end of life of all packaging that they sell Balancing maintaining and existing business after purchasing with incorporating new ideas & partnerships  Where to find Refill Emporium Website F...

This week: Shipping Packaging - why is it even necessary, but also why does it feel like it’s necessary? And alternatives for how to work around it. Construction, food, and medical waste Jessica is going back to basics The accessibility of having multiple options to meet people where they are Sustainable period products The longevity of products & how it both reduces waste, but also reduces th...

This week:  The idea of “Buying your trash” and how low-waste living can start as a cost-savings journey to cut down on the shopping trips Getting started Parallels with corporate retail Operating in a co-op space (including compared to solo space) Time management Delivery logistics Partnering with a branding company Where to find Good Bottle Refill Shop:  Website Facebook Instagram TikT...

This week:  2026 trends Competition vs. complimenting with similar businesses nearby Equipment access (ex: peanut butter grinder & grain mills) Food refills - containers, packaging, suppliers, & requirements Licensing & food sales regulations Risks & scary things!  Swaps & events The uniqueness of the Michigan refill community What it feels like to a small business ow...

This week we talk about about different ways in which Tiffany is immersed in the refill field:  1. Retail:  Find Juniperseed Mercantile ’s brick & mortar location at 5641A S. Nevada St., Littleton, CO Select local markets (and sometimes out of her van) Online where she sells her in-house made products 2. Manufacturing/wholesale   Juniperseed Mercantile products including  3...

This week:  Market vs. in store setup Early days Sink setup within the shop Removing labels from Jars  Free container donations Local food pantry support Prioritizing local Running a business while working another full time job Word of mouth marketing & social media Where to find The Eastwood Refillery Website Instagram Facebook Name Drops Faire Rustic Strength GoGo Refill in Portlan...

This week:  The early days of Full Circle Refillery in Chattanooga, TN Branding, Buzzwords, Marketing, Green Terminology and what it all means in practice Brick & mortar as it compares to consignment booths, pop ups, home garage appointment shopping Customer engagement through Instagram polls, especially for feedback Finding the next best option to bridge the gap, even when knowledge and/...

This week:  Community givebacks of all shapes and sizes Lauren Singer’s Package Free Shop in New York The early days of BYOC and how it all started Initial inventory Pricing with refill vs. solid products Transitioning from a pop up model to brick & mortar Shipping costs Marketing and social media The role of the business owner Becoming a hub of knowledge for your community Extended Produ...

This week:  Branding terms Poly vinyl alcohol Balancing values as they change Big retailers vs. small businesses, especially exclusivity clauses  Accessibility & sustainability crossovers Sustainability challenges Green Business Challenge Lessons learned:  Order while restocking and rearranging layouts Starting with unscented products and wait to see what people request Email Ca...

This week:  Business classifications Planning ahead Differences in work style Flexibility in business structures and working hours Delegation of duties More social media discussions including time, effort, purpose, and impact Feeling failure The link between capitalism and hierarchy Emergency planning Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback! ...

The January 2026 CFG Community Giveback Partner is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital . This means that 10% of all Patreon membership dollars from all projects within the CFG universe will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital . All the ways to find, follow, & support the Capitalism for Good universe:  Apple Podcasts (Bittersweet Paradox) | Apple Podcasts (Capitalism for...

This week:  How the podcast gets edited & made AI & preparedness Marketing, advertising, and the impact of different types on community building Clothing swaps, container donation pauses, and resell parameters Community building Social Media More marketing!  Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!  Find more with Jessica & An...

This week:  Free container shelves Chemistry degrees Things you need when you’re first getting started Why stainless steel funnels & silicone molds are the best Sustainable stickers & tape People pleasing  BYOC’s upcoming refill machine!  Andrea’s vibes and mission thoughts on a future store Competition with other similar stores Suburbs Brick & Mortar vs. Delivery vs. Po...

Listen to us figure out how to introduce ourselves, talk about how to set up a business that is essentially meant to put ourselves out of business, how to organize a values matrix to evaluate potential product sales, and also how to filter feedback when it's so personal. Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project ( Apple | Spotify ) Apple | BY...

Welcome to BYOC Co. in Ann Arbor, MI! Take a look around. Let us know what you need. Are you curious about what it's like to shop at a refill store? We've got you covered with a tour. Follow Jessica & Keegan in as they walk us through how it works. We'll also talk about homemade repurposed decor, knocking down walls, testing out new product manufacturing, and all the ins and outs of a refill s...

Hi folks! Meet Jessica Cichowlas, Owner of  BYOC Co.  in Ann Arbor, MI. Because if I (Andrea) am going to open a community-focused refill store, I'm going to need a buddy that actually knows what she's doing and can guide me through it all. She's also got her own story and her own "why." So, say hello to her and listen to how she got here to be the partner in crime of Capitalism for Gree...

Hi. Hello. Welcome in. How are you? I realize that I jumped right in to what the project is and blew right past who I am. I suppose that’s an important part of this whole thing. I also suppose that it’s a pretty great example of who I am as a person. I’m Andrea and I’m really good at getting ahead of myself. In fact, I’ll tell you that the inklings for this project have been decades in the making...

The basic rules of Capitalism for Green : There’s a landing page for the whole shebang which is linked in the Show Notes (the pile of words under the podcast picture and likely what you're currently reading). That landing page takes you to what I call “ The Patreon .” If you have a question, ask it. You get bonus points for questions. If you’re interested in the audio podcast, then just follo...

Hi folks! I’m Andrea and I’m the woman behind the Capitalism for Good project which led me to start the Capitalism for Green project. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m here to figure it out and you watch me figure it out. I’m determined to surround myself with folks smarter than me who can help guide me and lead me through this process as I attempt to open an impact-focused sustainable shop....

Hi folks! I’m Andrea and I’m the woman behind the Capitalism for Good project which led me to start the Capitalism for Green project. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m here to figure it out and you watch me figure it out. I’m determined to surround myself with folks smarter than me who can help guide me and lead me through this process as I attempt to open an impact-focused sustainable shop....

Hey folks. I promise to be real quick here. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use capitalism for good as the name of the project suggests by putting all the lessons I’ve learned from the leaders I’ve interviewed so far into action. I’ve also been thinking a lot about how much the need in our community is likely to continue to increase in the coming months. So in the spirit of using capitalism...