Byrd’s Filling Station is clearing the way to a low waste future right here in San Mateo County!
Laura Porter, owner of Byrd’s and our newest community champion, is helping residents conveniently reduce waste while minimizing the harmful impacts plastic can have on our health, wildlife, and our waterways. As Laura notes, plastic unfortunately comes with an immense amount of pollution, from its fossil fuel beginnings all the way to the leaching of chemicals into our soil, air, water, and even our bodies. Meanwhile, many of us are reliant on plastics in our day-to-day lives despite our best intentions!
“Byrd’s Filling Station was created to make it easy to replace items that would typically come in single-use plastic packaging with reusable or more sustainable alternatives, as well as offering a way to refill those containers over and over with consumable household goods.”
— Laura Porter
Laura’s Low Waste Lifestyle Journey
Laura’s determination to reduce plastic waste all started back in 2018 with the “Plastic Free July” movement. After hearing about other people’s zero waste efforts (like fitting a year’s worth of garbage in a mason jar!) Laura set out to do a week’s worth of grocery shopping for her family of four with a commitment to zero plastic. “I walked out of the store that day with a baguette, a dozen eggs, and a little bit of fresh produce. That was when I noticed that there was a need in the community for a store that offered better packaging alternatives.”
After a ton of dedicated research and sampling of plastic-free products, Laura’s efforts quickly blossomed into a desire to help not only to her own family, but also to the local community. Laura began by selling plastic-free products at farmers markets and eventually switched over to home delivery during the pandemic. In June 2022, the Byrd’s Filling Station storefront opened.
Clean Products, Inside & Out
The efforts of Byrd’s Filling Station help keep our waterways clean by offering products that are free of toxins and plastic packaging–both of which sadly end up as water pollution more often than not.
As Laura says, “plastic is a lightweight material that can very easily become airborne and accidentally become a pollutant.” Laura went on to explain how even if someone properly places a plastic water bottle in a blue recycling bin, it can easily fall out if the bin is disturbed by wildlife, winds, or the process of a hauler emptying and transporting it to a recycling center. “In all of those scenarios, that bottle is almost guaranteed to end up in our waterways eventually… and that is assuming someone was well-intentioned and did it correctly!”
Aside from the plastic-free packaging, the products that Byrd’s sells are safe for both our little ones and our precious waterways. Laura notes, “While I have cut out products that directly expose me and my family to carcinogenic chemicals, it’s also important to understand the impact that our chosen products have as they continue downstream after we use them. That’s why at Byrd’s Filling Station, we’re picky about the products just as much as we are about the packaging, and all of our refillable laundry detergents are greywater safe!”
Taking the First Steps
Going “zero waste” may seem incredibly daunting, and may not be 100% realistic for everyone depending on lifestyle, family needs, and access to low waste products. Even the state of California is committed to reducing plastic pollution with a recently signed piece of legislation that requires all packaging to be recyclable or compostable of 2032.
While Byrd’s Filling Station has already met that goal, even Laura admits that “Zero waste is really an ideal, or a philosophy…. but what’s important is to make an effort.”
We asked Laura for a few pieces of advice she would give to someone wanting to start their own low waste or plastic-free journey:
- Small steps count: “The best suggestion for changing habits is to do it slowly. Trying to change everything in your life at the same time can feel overwhelming or complex, and lead people to give up on even trying. So swap out one or 2 things at a time, and then choose the next swap once that feels normal.”
- Choose where you shop wisely: “And secondly – shop at places that make it easy! Shopping at Costco or Target just guarantees lots of plastic packaging – so pick another retailer for your needs, and be intentional about what you buy and where you shop.
- Use social media: Plug #zerowaste or #plasticfree into social media a couple times and let the algorithm bring inspiration to you.”
While we don’t all need to fit an entire year’s worth of household trash in a mason jar, we can certainly do our part in reducing the amount of plastic in our lives. Byrd’s Filling Station is a fantastic example of how one person can inspire many to get involved in keeping our environment and health safe without sacrificing convenience or quality. By making simple swaps and starting small, every simple action adds up to a cleaner San Mateo County.
