Not only just shampoo bottles, but deodorant, shower gel and all kinds of washing and cleaning liquids can be refilled easily.

The refill concept is not new. At some ecological shops you can have the ecological product put in the packaging you bought last time.

But there you can only buy one brand and it is in a shop with just eco products. Not round the corner for most people.

The 'Refill' chain should be present in every shopping mall. You can bring the empty packaging of products you bought in the regular supermarket and you can fill it up with all the major brand products. There is just one big wall with taps behind the counter (I like shops with a counter).

Then you can also put the shampoo of your favourite brand in the packaging of another one you think is more practical.

Some liquids do not work well in the packaging of another brand (I tried it). There should be some chart or salesperson in the shop giving you advise.

The challenge is to convince the manufacturers to sell their liquids in bulk to you directly. Might even be cheaper too.
-- rrr, Apr 26 2007

Inkstation http://www.inkstation.nl/
For ink cartridges it already exists [rrr, Apr 26 2007]

retail refill guerilla retail_20refill_20guerilla
An idea that came out of Marklar's comment [rrr, Apr 26 2007]

Creating the heretofore unknown occupation of "shower gel jerk".

You know, that's a *lot* of spouts. (About 10-20 per square foot?) They'd better be cheap. How do you measure how much pours into the bottles people hand you?

I don't think you can blame the existing bulk cereal distribution for lack of adoption, any more than you can just declare yours to be available everywhere, just by saying so. (Fortunately, the idea doesn't depend on that.)
-- jutta, Apr 26 2007


Well if you can factor in internet ordering and delivery you can just leave your empties outside the door for the guy to take away like milk used to be.
-- marklar, Apr 26 2007


Indeed, a lot of spouts. It is probably better to make it only one spout for that entire wall with stacked tanks with fluids.

One spout operated by the shower gel jerk who measures the quantities going into each bottle.

For those who forgot their bottle from home, there should be a basket where people can leave their surplus of empty bottles for others to use.
-- rrr, Apr 26 2007


Marklar, you remind me about the way I do my shopping already. I throw empty shower gel bottles in the shopping bag I take to the supermarket (I bring my own of course) instead of putting it on a shopping list. I throw the empty one away in the supermarket after I found a replacement on my way to the check out.

The same should work for internet deliveries. They already take back empty crates and bottles with a deposit (at least in my country).

I made a new idea about this, see link to 'retail refill guerilla'.
-- rrr, Apr 26 2007


Since most products differ only in packaging (take dog food as one example), this is nice, simple idea that would be utterly rejected by manufacturers, whose scams would be exposed for all to see. Another reason they'd hate it is there's often as much profit in the packaging as there is in the product. [+]
-- nuclear hobo, Apr 26 2007


This is baked at my local health food store. There's a display of the standard bulk tubs these products come in, with spigots at the bottom. You fill up yourself and take it to the checkout.
-- BunsenHoneydew, May 02 2007


[Shampoo as health food. Hm. Makes note to avoid Bunsen's neighborhood.]
-- DrCurry, May 02 2007


//Some liquids do not work well in the packaging of another brand (I tried it).// Do tell.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 03 2007



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