After Laura Marston learned about the harmful effects of plastic, she made a New Year’s resolution to stop using single-use plastic water bottles and began auditing her family’s trash and recycling. After she saw how much they were throwing away, she notes, “It was impossible for me to close my eyes to the problems surrounding plastic production, toxicity, and pollution.” She found that approximately 8% of global petroleum use is allocated to plastic production, resulting in pollution and carbon emissions that disproportionately impact BIPOC communities. Additionally, she discovered that 8.1 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, affecting biodiverse life.
She came up empty in her search for plastic-free alternatives to home products. At the same time, she told the Bowdoin Orient, she was “having these conversations with other people and realized I’m not the only one who’s interested in doing this.” So, Marston decided to start GoGo Refill in South Portland, Maine, in 2019 to expand the range of options in her town, followed by a second location in Brunswick, which closed early last year despite being profitable. The idea behind the company is that “low-waste options should be available to all – and we’re working every day to create that reality.” As she elaborated in a promotional video, “We believe living low-waste is an evolving journey in the simple, joyful discovery of using more, throwing away less, and consuming differently.”
Video Courtesy Laura Marston
The company sells a range of refillable products, including hand and body soaps; bath products; shampoos and conditioners; lotions, salves, and oils; skincare products and sunscreens; toothpaste and mouthwash; natural deodorants; fragrances and diffuser oils; laundry and dishwasher detergents; and cleaning products. However, none of them are sold in containers. The company describes the process, “We do all of the pouring, pumping, and scooping for you! BYO container, or borrow one from us.” GoGo Refill will fill any container, even a pasta sauce jar, “as long as it’s clean and empty,” or lend one from its ‘container library’ donated by others, before charging by the weight of the purchase.
The product offerings also include a variety of reusable, sustainable items from GoGo Refill and other like-minded organizations. For example, Dip shampoo and conditioner bars can last for months because they only require light pressure to work. LastObject tissues and swabs can be cleaned and reused; one pack of LastObject Tissue saves more than 3,100 single-use tissues, while the LastObject Regular Swab is made of recycled ocean-bound plastic, each saving over 1 kilogram of coastal plastic waste. Leaf Shave razors like the Leaf Dermaplaner and the Leaf Shave Three Blade Razor replace single-use alternatives, complete with replaceable and recyclable blades; “Treat yourself with this durable beauty that will last you a lifetime, save you money, and ensure you don’t need to replace your razor every year,” the company describes the latter. Marley’s Monsters makes products like unbleached linen coffee filters, cotton chenille makeup towels and washcloths, cotton flannel cloth wipes and facial rounds, and cotton fleece UNpaper Towels and reusable dusters to be reused again and again.
Photo Courtesy GoGo Refill
Many are made of natural materials, offering a variety of Bambu serving and diningware options made of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified organic bamboo, promising to “last for decades, and will decompose at the end.” EcoLiving dishbrushes and dustpan sets have handles made of FSC-certified natural beechwood, and bristles are made of plant-based tampico fibers, making them both biodegradable and compostable. If You Care trash and food waste bags are made of potato starch combined with a fully compostable polymer, while snack and sandwich bags are made from the unbleached pulp of Scandinavian spruce trees. Upcircle Beauty face masks, moisturizers, and balms not only come in fully recyclable glass jars with aluminum lids but are also cruelty-free and vegan.
Customers can also find particularly unique offerings in the likes of beeswax birthday candles from FD Market, which “directly supports local beekeepers in maintaining healthy and sustainable hives.” Funky Rock Designs crafts candle holders from natural stones. Each Original Duckhead umbrella, with a duck face on the handle, is made of nine recycled plastic bottles. ReCAP Mason Jars’ pump and spray attachments provide a new purpose to an all-too-common household item.
The impact speaks for itself. Over four years, GoGo Refill successfully diverted or refused over 192,000 plastic packages. In 2025 alone, customers ditched plastic soap bottles 9,833 times and did 239,199 loads of dishes without shipping any new packages. The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet and donates 1% of its revenue to nonprofit organizations that are working to combat climate change. Beneficiaries of the funding have included the Maine Island Trail Association, which protects and maintains more than 375 miles of coastal waterways and islands in the state.
Photo Courtesy GoGo Refill
Many of the products are also guaranteed Made in Maine, “plastic-free and by the sea!” The company elaborates, “Mainers are resourceful – wasting not, and wanting less. Maine is full of makers, innovators, and community creators – and we’re so proud to be a part of it!” Many of these companies use local ingredients. Paine Products uses natural Maine balsam fir in each balsam pillow, “giving off the scent of the holidays all year round,” and Unfiltered Skincare uses Maine seawater in its certified organic toner and fresh ground Maine oats in its cleansing grains 3-in-1 cleanser.
Other products are hand-made in local areas. Ceramica Co. makes ceramic sponge holders, spoon rests, and travel mugs on local potter’s wheels; the “lovely people in Westbrook, Maine” make Near & Native candles; and Molly Angie’s napkins are locally sewn. Many products are often Maine-themed or -inspired, as well. Last year, GoGo Refill worked with Dip to develop Coastal Maine Pine shampoo & conditioner bars, which smell “like the exact moment when you emerge from a trail in the pine trees onto the rocky beach – that uniquely fresh, Maine scent.” One of the scent options for White Pine Tallow’s bath and brew beard balm is “scented like a true Maine woodsman, with fir trees, patchouli, juniper, and a can-do attitude.”
Plus, whenever possible, Marston sources from other women-owned businesses such as White Pine Tallow or Dental Lace, because “women supporting women in business is a beautiful thing.” Many of these women are at the forefront of sustainable innovation. Dental Lace makes its floss from biodegradable mulberry silk, manufactured using renewable biogas, and printed with soy-based inks. The floss is shipped in FSC-certified, post-consumer fiber boxes, and refills are packaged in plant-based cellophane storage bags. GoGo Refill has also collaborated with other women-owned businesses on new products. For example, Laura and Rachel Adams collaborated on Swedish dishcloths that are reusable and compostable at the end of life. Laura described, “This project highlighted something I adore about our little city – amazingly talented people (Rachel), excited to work together to build each other up, make new connections, and spread joy. Look around, Portland folks, and you see it everywhere.”
Photo Courtesy GoGo Refill
Additionally, Laura recognizes that “the idea of recycling being the solution to single-use plastic doesn’t work. Our recycling rates are desperately low. A lot of municipalities can’t afford to send all the recyclables that we as consumers want to recycle to actually get recycled.” However, that does not mean GoGo Refill does not recycle what it can. Last year, the company began accepting batteries for recycling, and in 2024, it collected 6,000 sunglasses to send to children in Africa ahead of the October eclipse.
On the company’s sixth birthday, Laura wrote, “I’m just so proud to serve the community that comes through these doors every day. It’s about so much more than refilling your containers, we get to share in your lives and habits and hopes and resistance and frustrations. And we get to be a part of your sustainable lives – and we are so grateful to be your trusted resource.”
Photo Courtesy GoGo Refill
