Meet Rachel Regula of Little Spark Refill Shop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Regula.

Hi Rachel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my sustainable journey when I was working with Cleveland Clinic Functional Medicine. I had to remove chemicals from my home and personal products to understand my real symptoms and not those caused by the products I was using. I learned more about how the products I was using weren’t being kind to my body through the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and how they were negatively affecting our ecosystem.

With this knowledge, I began looking for more sustainable ways to live and came across refill shops in other parts of the country. I was amazed and thought that Cleveland would have one – which we didn’t. So, I set out on a mission to create Cleveland’s First Refill Shop. This is how Little Spark came to be. I enjoy working with and helping customers that are starting their journey with Functional Medicine. I remember how overwhelming it was when I first started because finding safe products was virtually impossible if I wanted to shop local. When creating Little Spark, I made sure that the products we carry are safe for those individuals and also help our customers be more sustainable by refilling.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Opening Little Spark has been an absolute business owner’s DREAM. I officially became a business in July 2020 and opened my first brick and mortar in October 2020. I worked closely with the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Cleveland State to ensure I was on a smooth road to opening. I made sure to order products and file for permits early. Even with the supply chain struggles from COVID-19, We opened on time with no delays. We then decided to move our westside location to Rocky River in August 2021 and open our second location in Chagrin Falls in September 2021. We didn’t experience any struggles until Fall 2021 when supply chain and shipping issues became unavoidable. Overall, It has been an amazing experience to see my dream become a successful reality so quickly.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As Cleveland’s First Sustainable Living Refill Shop, Little Spark Refill Shop is here to ignite your way to sustainability by making it easy and accessible! We are dedicated to helping the community reduce their plastic waste, refill their own vessels with natural products and live more sustainably. We carry over 100 refillable products from cleaning and laundry to personal care items! What makes us unique is that we let our customers bring their own containers to refill them. This helps our customers embrace the circular economy and put reuse into their own hands instead of trusting the municipal recycling process. All of our products help our customers use more eco-conscious products ensuring they are safe for you and won’t adversely affect the environment. We also carry items that help our customers create a zero waste lifestyle on their own terms whether it be switching from plastic to reusable bags or going all in with shampoo and conditioner bars. I am most proud of how Little Spark has sparked the communities interest in sustainability and made sustainable products more accessible.

We are also helping other businesses become more sustainable through our business refill program. We have many restaurants choosing to refill their dish soap and cleaning products and even local spas that are refilling their laundry detergent and hand soap. These businesses are helping decrease their dependence on single-use plastic and make their business more sustainable!

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the small business community in Cleveland. There are so many stories and dreams behind our local businesses that many do not know. I have certainly felt empowered by the customers who visit my shop and have embraced a new concept in Cleveland. I least like how Cleveland, and really Ohio, is so behind in sustainable practices. We have a long way to go and many policies to change but I am hopeful for the future.

Pricing:

• Home & Kitchen $1.30 – $33.99
• Bath & Body $3.99 – $15.99
• Personal Care $3.99 – $84.99
• Laundry $4.99 – $38.99
• Zero-Waste Introduction Kits $34.99 – $110.99

*All items are available in-store, for local delivery, or shipping in the United States.*

Contact Info:

• Email: Hello@LittleSparkRefillShop.com
• Website: www.LittleSparkRefillShop.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/LittleSparkRefillShop
• Facebook: Facebook.com/LittleSparkRefillShop
• Twitter: Twitter.com/zerowastecle

Image Credits
Jim Cook Photography
Evermore Creative
Manifest Media Haus