When walking down Second Street in Hudson, you may have seen a sign in a doorway saying One Drop Refillery, and like me thought it was a distillery, like a new place to have a drink.
That would not fill the bill. Rather, this new shop that’s like a small mill, as in a dispensary, but quickly grew into featuring much more though related goods, reduces one of your steps and will be a first step toward saving the environment. It’s tucked inside the north half of a long existing photography studio by Lisa Buth and being what the former name says, it’s a one-stop refillery for household products. A pretty nice way to take a place where pretty pictures are produced and give them something to picture, as in a maintained green landscape. It’s for a plethora of products such as cleaning supplies, personal care items or dry goods, and allows you to escape the endless cycle of always buying new containers that, well, contain those liquids, but not only house those, but many more of the things in your house. Put that pattern on hold. Maybe permanently with what you hold in your home. Well the threat gets more voluminous, it gets more ominous.
The idea is to let you drink in a new experience of eco-conscious living, so we can all continue to have a happy hour, so to speak, that extends for many a day to come, with the planet’s environment. As the band Tool sings eloquently, 10,000 Days? And hopefully more …
— Featured products, boatloads of them, include essential oils, to soap and dish cubes and liquids, to Sisel back or also separately pot scrubbers, to throat drops and sprays, to balms and salves, to beeswax or facial or hair products given as plant-based (of course) wraps and such, not to mention a bunch of basics. —
The concept is also incarnated in a shop in North Hudson, a store that has existed prior to the new one in downtown Hudson, where part of the idea at the latter was to take the photo studio that had extra space to offer and use it more efficiently. And make sure that we all have green space in our future. If you don’t watch all that powdered laundry soap, it becomes an environmental powder keg.
It’s easy to see why this is important to the founder. Her website, which is much more extensive than most and is packed full of information and her many products and their pictures, says it all. “Rooted in faith and grounded in family, I’m a wife, a mom, and a firm believer that the best moments in life are often the simplest; slow mornings with coffee in hand, time spent with the people (and animals) I love most, and creating a home and life that feels intentional,” founder Jennifer Fravel says.
“I have a deep love for travel and new experiences, but no matter where life takes me, my heart is always centered on building meaningful connections and living with purpose,” she continues.
Her wellness journey — and later on, that of a building — began with that first part over a decade ago, opening the door to a more natural and nature-nurturing, non-toxic way of living. What started as a personal passion has grown into a calling of helping others make simple, sustainable swaps, she says, and all in the family will benefit.
From this vision, products sprouted that promote health as well. Both shops feature sizable vats with spouts, and bins and jars and other containers of things like soaps and other cleaning agents. In Hudson, they’re housed on a multi-level cart that’s the size of a small pool table, most of them at waist height, and surrounding it are five cabinets with five shelves each. So even though there is some plastic from the hosting containers, its amount is kept to a minimum while at the same time offering a lot of products to choose from. There is on the end of the cart and its thick, pastel colored liquids, a scale with an arrow in the middle, the old-fashioned kind for accuracy. And this arrangement is only from the shop in the middle of the downtown, which still has cushy chairs from photo shoots sitting on the opposite side. There is even more shelving and product offered in North Hudson, which has a much similar outlay, but the cart is replaced with a table and countertop, and fittingly, there are green plants sprinkled in the midst of the products.
Since they have opened their doors, there have been more than 1,270 refills completed at the One Drop Refillery. Drop by drop, it makes a difference. Every refill is one less bottle bound for the landfill — and a small step, for mankind, toward a more intentional way of living.
Their featured products, to restate because it’s important, boatloads of them — from essential oils for the body and more, to soap and dish cubes and liquids, to Sisel back or also separately pot or dish scrubbers, to throat drops and other aids and sprays, to balms and salves, to beeswax or facial or hair products, to plant-based (of course) wraps, even holders for things like your most needed candles and such kind of crafts, not to mention a bunch of basics — let you experience eco-conscious living with a wide range of your household needs. Refills are as low as 25 cents an ounce. It’s all designed to elevate healthy living in your home while minimizing environmental footprint. So toe the line, with the help of this new business, started a few months ago.
(What is a Refillery?)
It’s a store where customers can either bring their own containers or use one of the company’s and fill them with products such as cleaning supplies, personal care items or dry goods instead of buying new packaged items, and that’s only to start. The goal is to reduce single-use plastic and packaging waste. Customers typically pay by weight or volume, only purchasing what they need, among other options. A refillery is part of the zero-waste and sustainability movement focused on reuse and mindful consumption.
(How refilleries reduce waste.)
A refillery reduces waste by adopting a circular, “refill-reuse-recycle” model that eliminates the need for single-use plastic packaging, which is often not properly recycled. By allowing customers to bring their own containers or use in-store, reusable options, they directly reduce the volume of trash sent to landfills and decrease the demand for plastic production.
Refill on your own schedule, and here’s how. Members get after-hours access to the North Hudson store, on Sommers Street North, and a curated gift each month, members only.
All this helps you to simplify healthy and sustainable living. Maybe this will become a full-fledged way of life? When choosing their home essentials, instead of buying new plastic containers, customers can refill those everyday essentials such as soaps, cleaners and personal care products, into reusable bottles. By choosing to refill, you reduce waste, support low-toxicity living, and shop more intentionally without sacrificing quality or design.
(How the drops became a river …)
Recycling waste is not all that has a stream. The mighty Mississippi River, as a metaphor, started with a small groundspring. It all has an impact. So it was with Fravel’s project. “At the core of everything I do is a desire to serve and uplift my community. I believe in meeting people where they are, offering encouragement without pressure, and creating spaces that feel welcoming, inspiring, and real,” she says, and a photography studio would seem to fit that bill. “One Drop Refillery is a reflection of everything that matters most to me.”
Living well doesn’t have to be complicated, she says again. “It’s built in the small choices we make every day… one drop at a time.” Before you know it, the impact of drops, metaphorically, becomes ounces, then pints, then gallons.
So to produce an eventual store, they took a space and began ripping up decades-old carpet and clearing out dust, refurbishing walls and fixtures — with at times a bit of shock at what was underneath. But though the chore was daunting, what seemed like it would be an endless task took seed, just like the nature they are trying to protect by living a simpler life, and it turned out it was less costly and easier too, in many ways. When a new floor was laid down, a new vision took root.
“We scoured Facebook Marketplace and such for homey, functional pieces that carried a story of their own, much like the building itself,” Fravel says.
One Drop Refillery was never meant to be just a store, she says. It’s a reflection of a journey … that supports both people and the planet, where our community can gather, learn, and grow.
The small changes that were part of the big change added up. “Refilling everyday items helps reduce plastic waste while making low-tox living feel simple and approachable. Instead of constantly buying new bottles, you reuse what you already have,” Fravel says. “Over time, that shift cuts clutter, waste, and unnecessary spending — supporting a healthier, more (again it bears repeating) intentional lifestyle.”
(The basics …)
While you can grab and go by stopping in, they at one Drop Refillery are excited to offer shipping for most refillery favorites, done free for all orders over $100! For bulk items or heavier products, they are only offering in-store pick-up at this time, and pick-up orders placed online will be available in store after 12 p.m. Central Time on the next business day, (subject to change.)
Looking for Something Specific? They’re continuously expanding the inventory at One Drop Refillery and say they would loveto know.
There are specials at One Drop Refillery, and you can make use of their workshop space for special events.
You can help the journey by becoming a member, one option for refilling that saves you money per trip, and rates are $10 a month or $100 a year.
Don’t see what you’re looking for! Send them a message at One Drop Refillery. Or just drop in!
Contact info: hello@onedroprefillery.com, or www.onedroprefillery.com. They are at (North Hudson) 759 Sommers St. North, and (downtown Hudson) 431 Second St. Check website or social media for hours by location.