M20 Refills, founded by Aaron and Fanni Saffer, is an innovative zero-waste home delivery service based in Manchester, UK. It provides a convenient, eco-friendly alternative for households to access essential cleaning products, personal care items, and even some food staples without the burden of single-use plastic packaging. Operating on a modern "milkman" model, M20 Refills is dedicated to making sustainable living accessible and routine for busy households.
Mission and Ethos: Eliminating Single-Use Plastic, One Refill at a Time
M20 Refills was established with a clear mission to tackle the pervasive problem of single-use plastic waste in household consumables. Their core ethos is built on:
- Waste Reduction: Directly addressing the environmental impact of plastic packaging by offering products in reusable containers.
- Convenience: Making sustainable shopping as easy as possible by delivering directly to customers' doorsteps.
- Accessibility: Enabling a wide range of households to adopt eco-friendly habits without needing to visit a physical refill store.
- Community Impact: Providing a tangible way for individuals to reduce their environmental footprint and supporting a local, ethical business.
- Circular Economy: Operating a closed-loop system where bottles are reused multiple times, maximizing resource efficiency.
How M20 Refills Works: The Modern Milkman Model
M20 Refills operates on a simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly system:
- Order Online: Customers place orders for their desired eco-friendly products via the
m20refills.co.uk website.
- Reusable Bottle Delivery: Products like laundry liquid, washing-up liquid, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and various cleaning solutions are delivered in durable, reusable glass bottles.
- Deposit System: For the first order, customers pay a deposit for the bottles. For subsequent orders, they simply pay for the product.
- Doorstep Collection: When placing a new order, customers leave their empty, used M20 Refills bottles on their doorstep on the designated delivery day.
- Wash, Sterilise, Refill, Reuse: Aaron and Fanni (and their team) collect the empty bottles, meticulously wash, sterilise, and refill them, ready for the next customer. This ensures hygienic and continuous reuse.
- Expansive Coverage: While originating from the "M20" postcode (Didsbury, Manchester), their service now extends to numerous areas across Greater Manchester, including Chorlton, Stretford, Wilmslow, Sale, Altrincham, Cheadle, and beyond.
Products and Services:
M20 Refills primarily focuses on household liquid refills, but their offerings also include:
- Household Cleaning: Laundry liquid, washing-up liquid, surface cleaners, toilet cleaner, fabric conditioner.
- Personal Care: Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hand soap, body wash.
- Specialty Items: They also offer other zero-plastic household items and have expanded their range over time.
- Food Collaboration (with Lentils and Lather): M20 Refills has a significant collaboration with Lentils and Lather, another zero-waste retailer in South Manchester. This partnership allows M20 Refills customers to also order loose dried food products (like pasta, grains, nuts, spices) for home delivery, significantly expanding their plastic-free grocery options.
Growth and Impact:
M20 Refills has seen impressive growth and is making a tangible impact on reducing plastic waste:
- Growing Customer Base: They serve hundreds of customers weekly, with thousands of bottles in circulation.
- Plastic Diversion: By repeatedly reusing bottles, they prevent thousands of single-use plastic containers from entering the waste stream each week.
- Operational Expansion: They've moved from operating out of their home to a commercial property and acquired a delivery van, signaling robust growth and a commitment to scaling their social impact.
- Inspiration for Others: They are actively considering franchising and teaching others in different cities how to set up similar services, aiming for a wider movement of zero-waste delivery.
- Contribution to Local Economy: As a local business, they create jobs and support other local suppliers (e.g., Lentils and Lather).
M20 Refills stands as a testament to the power of entrepreneurial vision combined with environmental consciousness, providing a vital service that makes sustainable, plastic-free living practical and convenient for the growing number of eco-minded households in Greater Manchester.
