about gaia’s market & refillery
Gaia’s Market & Refillery is the Chicago South Suburbs’ first eco-friendly low-waste market. Our mission is to make sustainable attainable with affordable eco-friendly products and resources to empower, educate and encourage our community to take simple yet meaningful steps in reducing its impact on the environment. Our bulk refills station is stocked with eco-friendly products for cleaning, haircare, skincare and more, and the market has sustainable alternatives to everyday items in personal and household care, baby and pet essentials, gifts and more. Visit the Refillery page for how it works and a list of the all-natural products available for bulk refills.
Sustainable
We believe in reusing, refilling, repurposing, reducing and recycling. We understand how much work it can take to find eco-friendly products that are trustworthy and effective. Sarah spent years learning and testing sustainable alternatives to everyday items — she is now an ardent composter, gardener, teacher, thrifter and upcycler. Gaia’s Market & Refillery recycles all shipment packaging, collects containers to upcycle for bulk refills, partners with local businesses to place terracycle bins and eliminates unnecessary waste.
Attainable
The affordable eco-friendly products at Gaia’s Market & Refillery have been thoughtfully chosen to offer attainable steps to a more sustainable lifestyle. Low waste doesn’t have to mean zero waste — taking steps to sustainable living does not require an entire overhaul or enormous investment. There are many simple steps and small changes we can all make to lessen our impact on the planet. We hope to help you find the eco-friendly products and low-waste practices that will fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.
Hello, I’m Sarah!
I’m the founder of Gaia’s Market & Refillery and I’m so happy you’re here!
I’ve always loved the outdoors and began learning about what it means to be a good steward of the earth on camping trips, which led me to restoring native plants and gardening. As I got into composting and gardening, I discovered my passion for living sustainably and keeping the planet healthy.
But first I became a pastry chef — I went to a culinary college and worked in restaurants for years until my body had other plans. I developed chronic Lyme disease on one of my beloved camping trips, forcing me out of the profession I loved. In the months following my diagnosis I had to step back and find a new path. I decided this was my chance to become a bigger part of the eco-friendly movement and make a difference. In the aftermath of a rough surgery, I started planning for what was to become Gaia’s.
Starting from square one — combing research to ensure a company is honest and good and isn’t greenwashing takes time and knowledge that I’d built up over the years. We’ve done the work to source and curate sustainable products that are good for us and good for the planet. My goal was to create a place where everyone from those living zero waste to those at the beginning of their sustainable journey could find trustworthy eco-friendly products. I’m never going to tell someone to start from scratch or try to scare you into making a change. My hope is that Gaia’s becomes a space where we can have conversations about sustainability and find manageable steps to live more eco-friendly lifestyles.