Earthies™ 🌍✨ Reuse Library
Forgot your container? Borrow one of ours. Return it when you’re done.
100% Plastic-Free
No Deposit Required
Bringing your own containers will always be the most sustainable option (and earn the most Earthies™ 🌎✨). The Reuse Library is for those moments when you forget. It’s a true circular reuse model using 100% plastic-free jars and organic cotton bags, powered entirely by your Earthies™ 🌏✨. No deposit. No credit card hold.
Community donated jars are not going away. Free donated jars remain available whenever we have them in stock, and we still accept donations. The donated jar shelf is a helpful bridge when someone needs a container in the moment, but the Reuse Library is designed for more consistent long-term circulation. Both run side by side, not one in place of the other.
Why we’re building it
So many of our customers already bring their own containers, and we love that. But life happens. You forget, you stop in unplanned, you need one more container than you brought. For those moments, we want refill to still work, in a way that stays true to the full lifecycle of what you’re using.
What Earthies™ 🌎✨ members are saying
A few of the open-feedback responses from the survey. Hover to pause.
“This is a great idea and I really hope it works!”
“Could be a revolution if executed correctly. I wish you the best of luck.”
“I love that you are putting lots of thought into this system. We need new systems for our ‘broken’ status quo.”
“The after-hours dropoff would be a game changer for me. I work 9 to 6 all week, so my first instinct would be to avoid borrowing because I might not be able to get it back in time.”
“I like the checkout option frozen until items returned. I’d rather not lose Earthies.”
View the full survey results →
The Reuse Library isn’t a hypothetical. It’s a direct response to what our community already does and what they told us they need.
Why community donated jars and a reusable container system are different
The best container is still the one already in your home. When that’s not practical, the Reuse Library is the next step: a plastic-free container that you return within a set window. We commercially sanitize every container ourselves between uses, even after you’ve washed it at home.
Buy new / paper bag
Single-use, highest footprint
Community donated jars
Helpful bridge, one jar at a time
Reuse Library
Structured, tracked, standardized
Bring your own
Lowest footprint, always best
The community donated jar shelf is still helpful, and we’re glad those jars stay in use. But community donated jars and a standardized reuse library are not the same kind of system. Donated jars come from many places, in different shapes, sizes, lid styles, thread patterns, and conditions. That keeps useful glass in circulation longer, which matters, but it’s still different from building a fixed fleet designed for repeat reuse from the start.
Those differences matter more as a system grows. Variation in volume, footprint, neck size, lid fit, label residue, and overall condition makes donated jars harder to wash, sort, match back together, store efficiently, fill consistently, and offer again with confidence. A donated jar may be perfectly reusable in a one-off sense, but still not function especially well as part of a larger shared system.
A standardized fleet is easier to sanitize, track, recirculate, stack, label, and keep in service over time. It also makes the experience simpler for customers: containers are more predictable, sizing is more consistent, and the system is built to circulate repeatedly rather than depend on whatever happened to get donated next.
What you can borrow
A standardized lineup designed from the start for reuse. This was the single most-agreed-on element of the program, with 86% of survey respondents saying a consistent jar set is appealing. Containers come in set sizes (1 cup, 2 cups, etc.) built from glass, stainless steel, and silicone to hold up through many cycles.
Spice Jar
Spices, herbs, small blends
Jar with Lid
Loose-leaf tea, peanut butter, sauces, oils, butters
Pouring Jar
Dishwasher detergent, hand soap, olive oil
Solid Cotton Bag
Dry goods, grains, rice, beans, chia, tea, nuts
Mesh Cotton Bag
Produce, large beans, anything you want to see
The library also includes organic cotton reusable bags, commercially laundered and sanitized at high temperatures between uses. They’re lighter to carry, easier to return, and you’d transfer your goods at home.
How it works
The Reuse Library is a lending library, not a container rental. Each container is built for a specific job. A spice jar for spices. A pouring jar for oils and soaps. A cotton bag for dry goods. Our system guides you to the right one for what you’re buying so nothing gets mismatched or oversized.
Order the amount you need
Shop by weight or by volume (cups, tablespoons, even teaspoons). When you’re ordering, you’ll see which library containers fit what you’re buying. Only the ones built for that product and sized for your amount are offered.
Grab the matching container
Pick it up from the Reuse Library shelf. Every container has a label telling you what it’s built for, so you always know you’ve got the right one.
Check out at the kiosk
Place it on the RFID reader and confirm. The first time you borrow you’ll enter your phone number to connect your Earthies™ account. After that, the kiosk recognizes your container from its RFID tag — no re-login needed for refills or returns. Your Earthies™ are held as a trust mark, not a fee: 1 Earthie™ 🌍 for bags, 2 Earthies™ 🌎✨ for jars. Return on time and they come back in full, so the effective cost is zero.
Fill it, pay, and go
We’ll fill counter items for you, and self-serve refill stations are yours to use. Take it home and use it as intended.
Return it visibly clean
Bring it back within the return window and your Earthies™ 🌎✨ come back in full. No phone number to re-enter — tap Confirm and you’re done. Even easier: bring it in for a refill instead of returning, and your borrowing clock resets automatically.
We sanitize it
The container runs through our commercial dishwasher’s high-temperature sanitation cycle, not chlorinated chemicals, and goes back on the shelf for the next person. The cycle continues.
No barcodes, no paperwork. Every container has an embedded RFID tag so we can track its full lifecycle and keep the library healthy. Accountability without the heavy-handed part.
Borrow the right tool for the job
Library containers are meant for the refill you’re making that day, not for keeping a container around because you like it. Please don’t borrow a 4-cup pouring jar to carry home half a cup of soybeans. Grab a cotton bag instead. The system only works when containers come back quickly and go to someone who actually needs that size. If you love a particular jar, we sell them too.
One practical note: liquids belong in pouring jars. Oils, soaps, shampoos, dish detergent, anything that pours. The solid-lid jars are sealed for dry and semi-solid goods like spices, nut butters, and honey, and aren’t fully leak-proof for liquids. The kiosk and product pages will guide you to the right one, but if you’re ever unsure, just ask.
Powered by Earthies™ 🌍✨
Instead of a cash deposit or credit card hold, 1 Earthie™ 🌍 for bags or 2 Earthies™ 🌎✨ for jars are held as a trust mark when you borrow a container. It’s not a fee. Return on time and they come back in full, so the effective cost is zero. You continue to earn Earthies™ 🌏✨ every time you shop and refill.
Two simple tiers held as a trust mark: 1 Earthie™ 🌍 for bags, 2 Earthies™ 🌎✨ for jars. It’s not a fee. Return on time and your Earthies™ come back in full, so the effective cost is zero. Size and style don’t change the number held. A small cotton bag is held the same as a large one, and a 1-cup spice jar is held the same as a 4-cup pantry jar. This way, choosing a bigger container to buy more in one trip is never penalized, and consolidation is always rewarded.
Don’t have Earthies™ 🌎✨ yet? You earn them automatically every time you shop. Visit our Earthies Rewards page to learn more.
Trust tiers: grow with the library
Every Earthies™ 🌍✨ member can borrow from the library on day one. No waiting period, no application. As you build a track record of on-time returns, your account automatically moves up through three trust tiers, and each tier lets you keep more containers checked out at once. There’s no staff judgment involved: if you return on time, you level up.
Day one
Refiller
containers
at a time
Where everyone starts. You’re already part of the refill movement. This tier gives you room to try the library while you find your rhythm with the return windows.
10 on-time returns
Circulator
containers
at a time
You’ve proven you keep the loop going: borrow, use, return. The library trusts you with bigger shopping trips.
20 on-time returns
Reuse Steward
containers
at a time
Reuse Stewards are the backbone of the library, the folks who make the whole circular system work. Stock your whole pantry.
Your current tier shows up in your Earthies™ 🌎✨ account, and the kiosk will let you know when you’ve been promoted. Caps are on concurrent checkouts, not lifetime borrows. Once you return a container, that slot frees up immediately. There’s no limit to how many times you can borrow in a month or a year.
Why tiers? A reuse library only works if containers keep circulating. Tiers are our gentle guardrail against the (very rare) scenario where someone might check out a dozen jars before any are due back. Starting everyone at 3 and growing from there keeps the library healthy, rewards reliable returners, and means no customer has to prove anything to a staff member to participate.
Return windows
We asked our community what windows would feel reasonable, and your answers shaped the program directly. Here’s how your voices are reflected in what we built.
Reusable bags
about a month
You empty these at home and bring them back on your next visit.
What you told us: “About a month” was your top answer at 50%. We matched it exactly.
Pouring jars
about two months
Oils, soap, or shampoo that you pour into your own container at home, then return the jar.
What you told us: Your top two answers were “a couple months” (41%) and “about a month” (38%). We split the difference so both groups feel covered.
Pantry jars
about four months
Spices, peanut butter, or honey that stay in your kitchen until used up.
What you told us: “3 to 6 months” was your top answer at 55%, and another 35% said “a couple months.” We landed right in the middle.
We’ll send SMS reminders before your window closes, and you can always request an extension if life happens. (76% of you said reminders would help; 75% said after-hours drop-off would too. Both are in the program.)
You helped shape this program
The stats above come from the community survey we ran before launch. See every question, the full response breakdown, and what we changed because of your answers →
Where to drop returns
Cotton bags: drop them in the secure drop box outside the shop any time, even after hours.
Glass jars: please return these inside the shop during open hours for now. We’re working on a safe after-hours option for glass, but jars in an outdoor drop box break too easily to do this well yet.
A note on after-hours drop-off: bags dropped in the outside box are scanned and marked as returned during our next open hours. If you drop one at 11pm on a Sunday and we open Tuesday morning, that’s when the return registers. Drop with time to spare before your window closes.
We’ll update this page once glass after-hours returns are ready.
No need to track which jar is which. Our RFID labels all look alike, so if you borrowed three spice jars, you don’t have to remember which one is which. Just bring any three Reuse Library spice jars back. Same shape, same size, any matching containers count, and we credit your oldest due date first, automatically. (Only RFID-tagged Reuse Library containers count toward your returns. Containers from home can’t be swapped in; see the FAQ below for why.)
If you can’t return on time
Things come up. The system is designed to work with real life, not against it. You have some options:
Returns are always allowed, even well past due. If multiple containers go overdue, new library borrowings pause until the jars come back. You can still shop, refill with your own containers or donated jars, and earn Earthies™ 🌎✨. Only new library checkouts are on hold, and returning reopens the program.
Reuse Library FAQ
Getting started
Do I need Earthies™ 🌏✨ to use the Reuse Library?
You need Earthies™ 🌍✨ to borrow from the Reuse Library, but we always have free options too. Donated glass jars (when available) and paper bags. You earn Earthies™ 🌎✨ automatically every time you shop, so most customers already have them.
How many Earthies™ 🌏✨ does it cost to borrow?
Nothing, if you return on time. When you borrow, we hold 1 Earthie™ 🌍 for bags or 2 Earthies™ 🌎✨ for jars as a trust mark. It’s not a fee, it’s a temporary hold that comes back in full the moment you return the container on time. Effective cost for on-time returns: zero. Size and style don’t change the number held within each tier. A small cotton bag is held the same as a large one, and a 1-cup spice jar is held the same as a 4-cup pantry jar. We chose flat tiers on purpose: we never want a customer to feel penalized for picking a bigger container so they can buy more in one trip. Consolidation is the goal.
Can I still bring my own container?
Absolutely, and we encourage it. Bringing your own will always be the most sustainable option, and it earns an extra Earthie™ 🌏. The Reuse Library is for those moments when you forget.
How is this different from the free community donated jars?
Community donated jars are helpful and free when available, but supply is limited and jars vary in size, shape, lid style, and condition. The Reuse Library is a tracked fleet of standardized containers built for repeat circulation: consistent sizes, stainless steel lids, and containers designed to hold up through many cycles. Both options are always available, and both keep useful glass in use.
Will I still be able to grab a free donated jar?
Yes. Community donated jars are not going away. Free donated jars remain available whenever we have them in stock, and we still accept donations. The Reuse Library runs alongside them, not in place of them.
Borrowing & limits
How many containers can I have checked out at once?
It depends on your trust tier, which grows automatically as you build a track record of on-time returns. New members start as a Refiller (3 containers at once), move up to Circulator (6) after 10 on-time returns, and reach Reuse Steward (12) after 20 on-time returns. You don’t apply and staff don’t judge. The system promotes you automatically. If you return everything on time, you level up. Your current tier is shown in your Earthies™ 🌏✨ account.
Can I borrow a container just because I like the look of it?
The Reuse Library is a lending library for refills, not a container rental. Please borrow the container that matches what you’re buying that day. A spice jar for spices. A pouring jar for oils and soaps you’ll decant at home. A cotton bag for dry goods. Using a 4-cup pouring jar to carry home half a cup of soybeans isn’t what the library is for, even if it’s technically allowed. The system only works when containers come back quickly and go to someone who actually needs that size. If you love a particular jar, we sell them too!
What’s to stop someone from checking out twenty jars and never bringing them back?
Two things, working together. First, the trust tier system: everyone starts at 3 concurrent checkouts and works up to 6 and then 12 as they build a return history, so there’s no way to walk out with a dozen containers on day one. Second, if any container goes seriously past due, new library checkouts pause automatically until the overdue containers come back (you can still shop and refill with your own containers, only the library is on hold). Both of these are handled by the software, so no staff member ever has to guess someone’s intent. It’s a friendly system with honest guardrails.
Can I borrow containers for online pickup orders?
Not yet, but it’s coming. We’re starting with in-store checkout to make sure the system runs smoothly, and online pickup container selection will follow once we’ve tested it end to end.
Returns & care
How are the containers sanitized?
Every container runs through our commercial dishwasher’s high-temperature sanitation cycle between uses. Heat-based sanitation, not chlorinated chemicals. You still need to return yours visibly clean: free of obvious food residue or heavy buildup. Think of it like your own dishes: give it a wash before returning, and we handle the commercial sanitation step on top.
I have several of the same jar checked out. Which one do I return?
Any of them. Our RFID labels are identical by design, so we never expect you to tell them apart. If you have three spice jars checked out, just bring any three Reuse Library spice jars back and we’ll credit your oldest due date first, automatically. As long as they’re the same shape and size and they’re Reuse Library containers (the ones with RFID tags), they count, even if they’re not “the” physical jars you originally walked out with. One less thing to stress about.
What if I have ADHD or a hard time remembering returns?
You’re not alone, and we hear you. The program is designed to be forgiving by default: bring it back next time you shop (no special trip needed), SMS and email reminders before your window closes, an after-hours drop box for cotton bags (jars still come inside during open hours for now, we’re working on it), and extensions if you know you’ll need more time. If you’re worried about forgetting, borrow one container at a time until you find your rhythm.
When things go wrong
What if I break a glass jar?
Bring the stainless steel lid back. It’s the most valuable part and goes right back into service on a new jar body. A staff member will process the return manually since the RFID tag lives on the glass. No charge for accidental breakage. Please don’t try to recover the RFID label from broken glass. Just bring the lid and let us know what happened.
What happens if I lose a container?
Contact us. Containers have a replacement value equal to the listed price of the container product, and you can either pay that cost or keep using the program with your remaining Earthies™ 🌍✨ balance. We’ll work with you to resolve it.
One important thing: you can’t replace a lost library container by bringing in one of your own jars. We know that feels like a fair swap, but the whole point of the library is a fixed, tracked fleet of standardized containers with RFID tags, stainless steel lids, and a known reuse history. A random jar from home (no matter how nice) can’t be dropped into that system. It’s not tagged, not standardized, and not part of our sanitization and tracking workflow. If you’d like to bring us a jar, we’re always happy to accept it as a donation to the community jar shelf, but it doesn’t replace a missing Reuse Library container.
Join the movement
Every borrowed jar is one less piece of single-use packaging. Every return keeps the library healthy. This is reuse built to last, and it only works because of people like you.
Connect your Earthies™ 🌎✨ account
Add your phone number (the same one you use in-store) under My Account → Account Details so your in-store and online activity stay linked.
Borrow. Return. Exist Green.
This project is supported by the American Express Backing Small Businesses Grant Program, presented by American Express and Main Street America.
The Reuse Library is an evolving program. Borrowing fees, return windows, and container types are subject to change as we learn what works best for our community.
Questions? Visit us in-store or contact us.
