BYO Long Beach

Hi all! It’s the beginning of a new month, and since January was a blur, I figured today was a great day to reintroduce the person behind the BYO curtain! I’m Julie Darrell, owner and founder of BYO. I’ve lived in Long Beach for over 20 years and am so grateful to be here! Originally from Portland, Oregon, I first moved here for a job in Interior Design and Architecture. As someone who has been passionate about the environment for most of my life, I wanted my values to be reflected in my work. So I studied and earned accreditation for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to use in my work as a designer. Unfortunately, those early years didn’t present many opportunities for projects working towards LEED certification. I decided to take the initiative in my own personal home to reduce waste and find nontoxic alternatives to the single use plastics and toxic chemicals in everyday products. I had trouble finding these things because so many corporations put profit above the planet. I knew I couldn’t be the only person in Long Beach looking for this, so in 2017 I used a little bit of my personal savings to start a refill station! I went to local markets and then my world collided with the good folks at @algalita . It was a game changing moment for me when they invited me to set up my refill station in their tiny retail space. In 2019 I was able to add a location in the @eastvillageartsdistrict . There have been huge ups and downs over the past 7 years. The last 2 Januarys I’ve spent closing another location that struggled to make ends meet. This year my mission is to get back to my focus on just bringing the best products to you while continuing my work in the community and through education with my nonprofit partners at Algalita. I’m generally not one that likes to brag about my accomplishments, but today I took some time to update my website to include recognitions BYO has received. Thank you to all of you that support this mission and continue to make small steps towards progress to make our community better, more equitable, healthy, clean and safe for everyone. 📸: @danielledongphotography

Just love this view at our downtown location in the @eastvillageartsdistrict . Refills for days! #refillshop #eastvillageartsdistrict #longbeach

We are coming on 5 years at our BYO at Algalita location! What started out as a small refill shelf with just a handful of items, has turned into an expansive collection of products for your home and body! We are so thankful to serve this community and appreciate when you share with your friends the impact they can make by doing simple swaps. Together we make a huge difference! #byoatalgalita #refillshop #longbeach #alamitosbay #sealbeach #supportlocal

Ma’am, it’s 9am at the farmers market, but your point is taken. For now we will stick with selling soaps and natural cleaning products. See you Sunday at the @marinafarmersmarket ! #supportyourlocalfarmer #refillnotlandfill

Having affordable low waste options that work well is very important to us, that’s why we love the products from @sfsustainable ! One shampoo bar will last for about 2 months, and a conditioner bar will last 3-4 months! If you have tried other shampoo and conditioner bars in the past, but haven’t loved them, I recommend giving these a try. I was a die hard liquid shampoo person for years because every bar shampoo I tried just didn’t work for me. This struggle was part of the reason why I started this shop, because bulk shampoo refills didn’t exist anywhere in Long Beach or even Los Angeles & Orange County! But after giving these a try last year, I’m in love with the Plum Lavender Shampoo / Oregon Mint Conditioner combo. Each bar sells for $12, making it affordable for me since they last so long, and they are so easy to travel with. Don’t miss out on the face bars too, they last several months for me, and at $6 each, it’s very affordable. All of their products have clean ingredients that earn an excellent score from @ewgverified . Available in store and online. #shampoobar #conditionerbar #lowwaste #vegan

The perfect gift for the vinyl collector in your life. #vinylcollection #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #naturalbrushes #cleaningbrushes

The easiest way to make a concentrated cold brew that will last you for days! #masonjar #coldbrew

Bring on the brushes 📦📦 unboxing our latest order from @buerstenhaus.redecker means getting to peep all the cool new product! Not only are these long-lasting and high quality, they’re also earth friendly and contain zero plastic! #shoplocal #plasticfree

Sadly, we do not offer recycling services, due to our tiny shop size. But you can REUSE the containers you already have, which some people think is a form of recycling. Call it what you want, but by using the container you already have you can REDUCE the amount of new things that need to be made! ♻️ #reducereuse

Who’s got love for mason jars like we do? 🤗🫙 Available in the shop or online. Order with or without the jar if you already have one! #masonjar #refillnotlandfill

Just in time for the weekend warrior refillers! At only one tablespoon per load, this laundry liquid concentrate from @rootandsplendor gets the job done without fragrance, harmful chemicals, or dyes. Refill your own container and stop tossing those giant plastic jugs out. #refillnotlandfill

Plastic free cleaning supplies for all the things. #naturalcleaning #plasticfree