Zero-waste soap company helps keep Durham cleaner and greener

Alyssa Cherry, Founder of Fillaree, whipped up her first batch of cleaning spray eight years ago, selling her first bottle at the South Durham Farmers Market.

Cherry said, “I just got more and more interested in avoiding trash all together and recycling wasn’t an answer for me and there was no space where I could refill my cleaning spray bottle.”

Now, the company offers a variety of hand, body, and dish soaps. Their soaps are all natural and organic.

The company’s zero-waste approach is one of a kind.

In 2020, Fillaree only produced four pounds of trash while making 8,000 gallons of soap with the help of Gather Green.

They did it through a method called trash diversion, with the help of Gather Green.

Gather Green practiced trash diversion. They basically collect trash and find different ways for it to be used.

The trash is also used as art for local teachers and artists.

Northington said the majority of the trash from Durham has to travel to Sampson County which will produce a higher carbon footprint with transporting the trash alone.

“Some of it is not even going to get bailed up to be sold to be recycled and then where does it go? The majority poor, majority black community where their crops fail because birds eat from the landfill and drop their droppings in their fields.”

“You know you don’t have that bottle that you had floating away in the ocean, it’s not going to be stuck in our beautiful planet,” said Cherry.

Fillaree has refill stations throughout the U.S., including some here in the Triangle. They've partnered with local companies, including some restaurants who refill and use their natural soaps.