JAR BAR REFILLERY

Written by Sarah Gordon (August 2022)

Solutions to Protect the Planet

When we put out our blue boxes each week, we feel proactive; however, it is estimated that only five to ten percent of plastic worldwide is recycled. The health of our planet is desperately in need of tender loving care. This is where the Jar Bar Refillery steps in. The new Dunbar Street business provides alternatives to wasteful packaging by offering soap refills and other ecofriendly products to help reduce plastic pollution.

Tamara Komuniecki owns Jar Bar Refillery. In 2010, she launched her initial business, Delish General Store (DGS). Four years later, the business moved from her home in North Vancouver to Granville Island. In 2018, DGS moved back to North Vancouver’s Edgemont Village. Two years ago, Tamara expanded the store to include the Jar Bar Refillery, and opened the Dunbar location in June 2022.

Tamara Komuiecki, owner of Jar Bar Refillery

Before being a business owner, Tamara had a long and varied career as a broadcast and print journalist, editor, producer and communications specialist. While she loved her work, she stepped away from it when her son was born.

Tamara explains, “Being an entrepreneur has always been in my blood — I come from a line of general store owners, and this always felt right to me.”

I always felt compelled that people could and should do more to make changes in their lives that would positively impact the community and the planet’s health.

When thinking about growing her business, she considered what other communities would support a Jar Bar Refillery, and Dunbar fit the bill.

“I created a list of neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland that had the right mix of demographic and density, were not currently served by a soap refillery, and that had a population who would be interested in a sustainable lifestyle for the health of their family and the planet.”

I wanted to be a part of figuring out some solutions I could help teach others. In a small way, that is what I am doing now.

Tamara mentions, “When you think of how much plastic waste one household generates daily, it is gut-wrenching. I have this image of the pile of plastic my household produces that keeps growing and growing, and I will do whatever I can to slow down the growth of its size.”

“Will it make a huge difference in the biggest environmental issues we face today, like resource extraction, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity? Maybe not. But I feel strongly that people need to feel like they are doing something that makes a difference, and if they start in one area of their life (plastic pollution), then that even small sense of empowerment may fuel action in bigger ways.”

Customers can bring in containers from home if they are clean and dry, or they can purchase new containers at the store. There are a variety of jars and bottles available with different tops like sprayers and pumps, in case someone needs that at home. Jar Bar Refillery carries mainly glass, some lovely ceramic ones and even HDPE plastic (BPA-free) for families who find a more breakable option unsuitable for their needs.

We also carry many locally-produced natural brands with organic ingredients, and so some folks mistake comparing our products and prices to the more mainstream, mass-produced, filler-heavy, chemical-laden products, but really, that is a false equivalency.

Tamara’s goal was to create a spa-like environment, and she has succeeded. Whitetiled walls, a green tiled feature wall behind the cash desk, and wooden floors create a calm and inviting space.

Jar Bar’s staff often hear how good the store smells; customers describe it as clean, fresh, and energizing.

Soap refills are the store’s most popular products. Customers have been raving about the orange blossom rosemary scent from Port Moody-based brand Live for Tomorrow, as well as products from Ucluelet’s Mint Cleaning Co. Jar Bar Refillery also sells a lot of bath and body products from Carina Organics, headquartered in North Vancouver.

Other popular products include refills from Routine deodorant, shampoo and conditioner bars from Unwrapped Life, and dishwasher pods with a water-soluble corn plastic wrapper from The Unscented Company. Additional popular purchases include Swedish sponge cloths, bamboo dish brushes with replaceable heads, and other tools for a clean home.

Tamara is grateful for being so readily accepted by the community and neighbouring merchants. She says, “I haven’t heard this message in any of my other locations as much as I have here. We are getting thanked for opening such a business in this community. How amazing is that?”

Jar Bar Refillery

4335 Dunbar Street

Vancouver, BC V6S 1P8

Phone 604-222-0287

www.delishgeneralstore.com