Re-Up Refill Shop

08/06/2026

No more ‘Sell By’ dates in California... what does it all mean?! Waste less by knowing more, your waste... uncovered 🗓️🗑️🌍
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Times are a changing, no more ‘Sell By’ dates in California...
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We have all had the experience when you pick up an item at a grocery store, check the date on it, and think “... what does that mean again...”
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- Does it mean that I shouldn’t buy it if it’s after that date?
- Should I not eat it if it’s after that date?
- Is it just not as fresh if it’s past the date?
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Well, thanks to a new California Law (AB 660) that went into effect in July 2026, consumers are finally getting more clarity on date labeling. And it’s good timing, as those confusing sell by date consumer labels are a huge contributor to the massive food waste generated in California.
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According to the state’s agency overseeing all the states’ waste, CalRecycle, “...organic waste is 48% of what California throws in landfills, by weight, including 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food a year” and California’s Against Waste research findings showed “20% of all avoidable food waste is caused by consumer confusion over expiration dates.”
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So say goodbye to the confusing sell by dates that have historically misled consumers into believing these were safety cutoffs and either not purchasing the labeled product or throwing away unspoiled groceries. You will still see dates, but instead of one of the over 50 different labels out there, the consumer-facing ones will now be limited to “Best By” to indicate quality freshness and “Use By” to indicate product safety (when applicable).
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And while we are at it, we want to give you a bit of a cheat sheet on how to read the dates on Re-Up’s returnable products (dairy and more) in the refrigerated section at the refill shop.
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comment continued in caption ⤵️
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08/06/2026

RE-UP REFILLS

waste less by knowing more!! !

your waste.. . uncovered

TIMES ARE A CHANGING, NO MORE SELL BY DATES IN CA...

We have all had the experience when you pick up an item at a grocery store, check the date on it, and think "... what does that mean again..."

- Does it mean that I shouldn’t buy it if it's after that date?
- Should I not eat it if it's after that date?
- Is it just not as fresh if it's past the date?

Well, thanks to a new California Law (AB 660) that went into effect in July 2026, consumers are finally getting more clarity on date labeling. And it's good timing, as those confusing sell by date consumer labels are a huge contributor to the massive food waste generated in California.

According to the state's agency overseeing all the states’ waste, CalRecycle, “...organic waste is 48% of what California throws in landfills, by weight, including 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food a year” and California’s Against Waste research findings showed "20% of all avoidable food waste is caused by consumer confusion over expiration dates."

So say goodbye to the confusing sell by dates that have historically misled consumers into believing these were safety cutoffs and either not purchasing the labeled product or throwing away unspoiled groceries. You will still see dates, but instead of one of the over 50 different labels out there, the consumer-facing ones will now be limited to “Best By” to indicate quality freshness and “Use By” to indicate product safety (when applicable).

And while we are at it, we want to give you a bit of a cheat sheet on how to read the dates on Re-Up's (https://reuprefills.org/) returnable products (dairy (https://reuprefills.org/collections/dairy) and more (https://reuprefills.org/collections/prepared-foods) ) in the refrigerated section at the refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) .

Unlike the rigid and often misleading dates of the past, all dates on all the perishable products at Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) are “best by dates”. For most of our products, especially if sealed, we expect them to be fresh and safe well past the dates indicated on them. It depends on the product, whether it's opened, whether it's fermented, etc. For example, soups generally last a couple of weeks past the best by date and milks around a week+. In our household, we like to use the smell and taste tests if we are unsure, but hey, to each their own :)

So get ready to read date labels on products with fresh eyes and see you at the shop (https://reuprefills.org/) soon!

Click here for an update from Re-Up Refill Shop!

06/05/2026

Recycling… when in doubt, throw it out ♻️🗑️
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It might feel like a weird motto to hear from your local refill shop… but we will tell you why we live by these words at Re-Up.
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Check out recent Forum episode, How Plastic Took Over the World – And How Big Oil is Betting on It with and they plugged Re-Up as a solution to plastic waste :)
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Although it might feel good to throw things into that blue recycling bin, it’s important to get it right. At the refill shop, we see this as an opportunity to take ownership of our waste: reuse what we can, and when we can’t, make sure it’s actually a viable, valuable recyclable, not just a landfill item with a deceptive chasing-arrow triangle on it.
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Otherwise, we may just be “wishcycling,” which clogs up the recycling system and makes the economics of recycling less viable. If we can’t be certain something is a high-value recyclable, we use the motto: “When in doubt, throw it out.
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To better understand what actually gets recycled, check out this informative 10 minute video about recyclers and our current recycling system.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT 🗑️
The average California home fills up 65 – 95 gallons of trash each week? On average, Californians individually throw away 6 pounds of trash every day, that’s 2,200 pounds each year (that’s about the weight of a small car). In the same way we ask you to reuse your containers every time you refill, we do the same with our suppliers, actively pushing and supporting them in improving their waste streams. This is what we refer to as “circular”, where vendors take back their containers, wash, and reuse them. And although not every single product in our store comes this way, we are proud to say that, by volume, the overwhelming majority of our liquid products do :)

[ continued in comments ]

06/05/2026

RE-UP REFILLS

recycling.. . the wasteful truth

your waste.. . uncovered

WHEN IN DOUBT... THROW IT OUT.

It might feel like a weird motto to hear from your local refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) … but we will tell you why we live by these words at Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) .

Check out KQED’s (https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913834/how-plastic-took-over-the-world-and-how-big-oil-is-betting-on-it) recent Forum episode, How Plastic Took Over the World – And How Big Oil is Betting on It. They plugged Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) as a solution to plastic waste :)

Although it might feel good to throw things into that blue recycling bin, it’s important to get it right. At the refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) , we see this as an opportunity to take ownership of our waste: reuse what we can, and when we can’t, make sure it’s actually a viable, valuable recyclable, not just a landfill item with a deceptive chasing-arrow triangle on it.

Otherwise, we may just be “wishcycling,” which clogs up the recycling system and makes the economics of recycling less viable. If we can’t be certain something is a high-value recyclable, we use the motto: “When in doubt, throw it out.

To better understand what actually gets recycled, check out this informative 10 minute video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwJuhTGInIE&t=2s) about recyclers and our current recycling system.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...
The average California home fills up 65 – 95 gallons of trash each week? On average, Californians individually throw away 6 pounds of trash every day, that's 2,200 pounds each year (that's about the weight of a small car). In the same way we ask you to reuse your containers every time you refill, we do the same with our suppliers, actively pushing and supporting them in improving their waste streams. This is what we refer to as "circular", where vendors take back their containers, wash, and reuse them. And although not every single product in our store comes this way, we are proud to say that, by volume, the overwhelming majority of our liquid products do :)

DID YOU KNOW THAT...
If you see bulk soaps at other local grocery stores, after those containers are emptied, they generally get thrown into the trash. Not at Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) . For bulk products at the refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) that aren't entirely circular, we work to minimize that waste stream internally… for example all of our prefilled 1 gallon plastic jugs that are filled with our eco-friendly cleaning products are repurposed from our bath and body jugs that are not circular.

As a result of these efforts... Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) is proud to only generate about 25 gallons of trash each week — 3X less waste than an average household — while providing groceries to more than 2,000+ households a month!

Thank you for all that you do in the community — refilling makes a real difference. See you in the shop sometime soon!

Click here for an update from Re-Up Refill Shop!

04/16/2026

Earth Day is around the corner & we’re hiring 🌍📋
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We are hiring for a Full-Time Store Manager and a Full-Time Assistant Store Manager (learn more in bio).
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Are you or someone you know inspired to help a small organization reduce single-use waste in the Bay Area? Want to work with a team to build a new, low-waste model for the grocery industry? We look forward to hearing from you! If you love refilling, all staff get a 30% – 40% discount! We hope you will help us spread the word :)
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It’s Earth Day! Speaking of spreading the word... Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day! We like to think that every day at the refill shop is Earth Day, but hey, it’s always nice to have the reminder.
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“We live in the era of trash, and we are running the risk of becoming trash ourselves.”
— HA SCHULT
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So, this earth month, let’s start changing the way we consume, before the plastics consume us. Learn more :) And as your community refill shop, working hard to ditch single-use waste, we would be honored if you can put a shop visit on the calendar and tell your community about Re-Up.
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Another great way to share the love and spread the waste reduction message is giving us a positive review on Yelp and Google, and posting about us on your networks like Nextdoor.
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So this Earth Day weekend… whether you commit to carrying your reusable utensil set with you to a picnic, doing some refillable spring cleaning, bringing a friend to the refill shop, or switching another section of your home to refills... we encourage you to keep the earth top of mind :)
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04/16/2026

RE-UP REFILLS

REMINDER... we're HIRING! !!

we want YOU! !!

WE ARE HIRING FOR...
- Full-Time Store Manager (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0505/6915/0642/files/Store_Manager_Job_Description.pdf?v=1774891195)
- Full-Time Assistant Store Manager (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0505/6915/0642/files/Assistant_Store_Manager_Job_Description.pdf?v=1774891195)

Are you or someone you know inspired to help a small organization reduce single-use waste in the Bay Area? Want to work with a team to build a new, low-waste model for the grocery industry?

We look forward to hearing from you! If you love refilling, all staff get a 30% – 40% discount!

We hope you will help us spread the word :)

it's EARTH day! !!

SPEAKING OF SPREADING THE WORD...

Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day! We like to think that every day at the refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) is Earth Day, but hey, it's always nice to have the reminder.

“We live in the era of trash, and we are running the risk of becoming trash ourselves.”
— HA SCHULT

So, this earth month, let’s start changing the way we consume, before the plastics consume us. Learn more (https://www.earthday.org/campaign/end-plastics/) :)

And as your community refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) , working hard to ditch single-use waste, we would be honored if you can put a shop (https://reuprefills.org/) visit on the calendar and tell your community about Re-Up.

Another great way to share the love and spread the waste reduction message is giving us a positive review on Yelp (https://www.yelp.com/writeareview/biz/U55eaOduWy2W17a3sgmPDw?return_url=%2Fbiz%2FU55eaOduWy2W17a3sgmPDw&review_origin=biz-details-war-button) and Google (https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=51551707418ed362&biw=1475&bih=784&sxsrf=ANbL-n4cW_0Maw52yT9Q8AT0qLVDIAqJAw:1776144581947&si=AL3DRZEsmMGCryMMFSHJ3StBhOdZ2-6yYkXd_doETEE1OR-qOZ6qGqO_JkVXqCn2m0gCMCS0Dad-JbebCqH3pkD6wEQkCgxaNyyj-PJIoaKYOXpOY-a3yqynoGAuq-t9sdsH2NqIQGifjUKL8u_1zywVxJPR0iI2kw%3D%3D&q=Re-Up+Refill+Shop+Reviews&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi4voGXzuyTAxXkG4YAHWn4F0kQ0bkNegQINhAH) , and posting about us on your networks like Nextdoor (https://nextdoor.com/page/re-up-refill-shop-oakland-ca) .

So this Earth Day (https://www.earthday.org/) weekend… whether you commit to carrying your reusable utensil set (https://reuprefills.org/products/to-go-ware-bamboo-utensil-set?_pos=1&_psq=uten&_ss=e&_v=1.0) with you to a picnic, doing some refillable spring cleaning, bringing a friend to the refill shop (https://reuprefills.org/) , or switching another section of your home to refills... we encourage you to keep the earth top of mind :)

Click here for an update from Re-Up Refill Shop!

04/01/2026

We're Hiring Managers! Join Our Team...

We are seeking a Store Manager and an Assistant Store Manager at your community refill shop.

https://reuprefills.org/pages/jobs-events

03/31/2026

We’re hiring managers, join our team. Apply and share today (link in bio) 🔗
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Hiring for full-time manager positions... we are seeking a Store Manager and an Assistant Store Manager at your community refill shop.
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Are YOU or someone YOU KNOW inspired to help a small organization reduce single-use waste in the Bay Area? Want to work with a team to build a new low-waste model for the grocery industry? Want a 30% – 40% OFF discount at the shop? Come join our team!
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The full-time Store Manager will serve as the lead staff person for our mission-driven organization. This role leads both the high-visibility, customer-facing operations of our Oakland retail location and the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that supports our operational growth and development. The Store Manager ensures that our low-waste grocery model runs smoothly and our facilities remain in peak condition.
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The full-time Assistant Store Manager will serve as the primary executor of day-to-day shop and warehouse operations. This role works closely with the Store Manager to implement systems, maintain operational performance, and ensure that all retail and facilities tasks are carried out thoroughly and consistently. While the Store Manager holds oversight vision and strategic management of the shop and facilities, the Assistant Store Manager is responsible for executing, maintaining, and upholding those systems in real time.
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Are you or someone you know a perfect fit for one of these positions? Pass this along!
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01/07/2026

A refillable resolution for 2026... join us for the event of the year 💌🚨💌
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Look at what we can accomplish together. New Year’s resolutions don’t always have to be about giving things up. This year, how about committing to refilling more, ditching a single-use habit, and bringing a friend into the Re-Up Refill Shop?
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Maybe this is the year Re-Up becomes your go-to grocery store, cutting your household waste even more :) Whatever you choose, we’re here for it!
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We know refilling takes a little extra effort, but the impact is worth it… less waste, a healthier planet, and a stronger community. Want to learn how to bulk shop at Re-Up like a pro? Have a friend that is intimidated to switch over to refillable?
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Join us this Saturday, January 10 to learn all the in’s and out’s and tips and tricks of going refillable from Re-Up co-owners Matt Zimbalist and Carly Fishman.
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Saturday, January 10, 2026
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
(6028 College Ave.)
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In the first of our collaborations with our awesome neighbors across the street, we will be holding a talk and Q & A about household waste, sustainability essentials, and how we can make effective change as consumers and individuals. After the Q & A join us for a stroll over to Re-Up for a bulk shopping trip with the owners where they show us all the tips and tricks of going refillable. Don’t forget to bring your own containers :) Learn more, share, and register (link in bio).
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01/07/2026

RE-UP REFILLS

join us for the EVENT (https://luma.com/k797rw1a) of the year! !!

look at what we can accomplish TOGETHER!!!

It's 2026... Do You Have A Refillable Resolution?

New Year’s resolutions don’t always have to be about giving things up. This year, how about committing to refilling more, ditching a single-use habit, and bringing a friend into the Re-Up Refill Shop (https://reuprefills.org/) ?

Maybe this is the year Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) becomes your go-to grocery store (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0505/6915/0642/files/Grocery_List_4e22b6f9-5ba6-4dd4-936c-3e7e6aaaa9a9.pdf?v=1733951928) , cutting your household waste even more :) Whatever you choose, we’re here for it!

We know refilling takes a little extra effort, but the impact is worth it… less waste, a healthier planet, and a stronger community.

Want to learn how to bulk shop at Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) like a pro?
Have a friend that is intimidated to switch over to refillable?

Join us this Saturday, January 10 to learn all the in's and out's and tips and tricks of going refillable from Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) co-owners Matt Zimbalist and Carly Fishman.

Saturday, January 10, 2026
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
@ Local Economy (https://www.thelocaleconomy.com/) (6028 College Ave.)

In the first of our collaborations with our awesome neighbors across the street, Local Economy (https://www.thelocaleconomy.com/) , we will be holding a talk and Q & A about household waste, sustainability essentials, and how we can make effective change as consumers and individuals. After the Q & A join us for a stroll over to Re-Up (https://reuprefills.org/) for a bulk shopping trip with the owners where they show us all the tips and tricks of going refillable. Don't forget to bring your own containers :)

Learn more, share, and register here (https://luma.com/k797rw1a) .

Click here for an update from Re-Up Refill Shop!