Joan Ayers, proprietor, homebody refill. [Photo courtesy of homebody refill]
There are those who like to think outside the box, but Joan Ayers prefers to think outside the plastic bottle. The concept for her company, homebody refill, took hold two years ago this spring. As she likes to say, “It started as a bug in my ear, a thorn in my side and a stone in my shoe.” But the defining moment for Ayers was when the Chinese government dropped a bombshell on the recycling business, drastically cutting back on plastic trash imports, beginning in January 2018.
“It really hit home when China withdrew from being a dumping ground for all our plastic trash. China had been our enabler, essentially providing us with the convenient out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality,” says Ayers, formerly an executive assistant for Frank Pipgras Commercial Real Estate in Sebastopol. “I knew at that point that China wasn’t the problem, and I couldn’t lay blame on America. I was the one making buying choices that said loud and clear to manufacturers that I wanted and needed what they were selling.”
For the next year, she became obsessed, as she puts it, with the realization that her single-use plastic habits were literally ramming its usefulness up sea turtles’ nostrils and clogging the oceans. She began to rethink plastic and what consumers can do to reduce plastic waste. “I’m convinced that we don’t need plastic. We have just bought into the idea of the convenience and cheapness of it. These are two realities that are hard to break away from, but it can be done.” 
As Ayers pondered a world without single-use plastics, the idea for a business, homebody refill, took hold. She developed a line of refill products and eco-friendly items for self-care, as well as for the kitchen (straws, beeswax wrap and pot brushes) and laundry (dryer balls and laundry strips), and then began selling the products at farmers markets around Sonoma County. “Most people in Sonoma County are aware of the availability of buying food in bulk, but my shop fills a refill hole that people are willing and excited to hear about. Millennials are hardwired at birth to save the planet at any cost, and Baby Boomers want to save the planet as well, but they are also money conscious.”
The product line for self-care includes liquid hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, shampoo bars, deodorant cubes, body wash and bubble bath; the company also offers refill products for the kitchen and laundry. Shoppers can bring a container from home (or purchase one at her booth). The container is weighed before it’s filled with product, and the weight deducted from the product weight. “The refill products are the best sellers, especially the hair and body products,” says Ayers. “Customers love bringing their own containers—it empowers them to go organic and do their part to help the planet.” 
Initially, Ayers had hoped Sonoma County would embrace her refill business model, and now that her hopes have been realized, she has plans for the future, which include opening a storefront on the square in downtown Sebastopol in June, and possibly a second the following year. “I want to be ready post-pandemic when we can come together as groups, so I can offer workshops on how to translate a desire to help the planet into a plan of action. I want the shop to be a source not only for products, but also for education and support in helping people find the path that is right for them.”
For more information, visit homebodyrefill.com
