Customer Spotlight: Meet Kristi!
We are excited to introduce Kristi Bemis-Standoli as February’s featured customer! Kristi is a glowing example of how individuals in our community are making impactful sustainable living choices. Kristi entered and won our “Get to Know Your Customers” contest in January, and we’re excited to share more about her sustainability journey with you.
A Bit About Kristi
Kristi is originally from Albuquerque and now resides in our charming Village of Corrales. She has an exemplary career history in science, having worked as a molecular biologist, lab technician, and lab manager for 13 years before transitioning into medical practice management and most recently, hospice care. Today, she enjoys time at home with her children and her forever babies – her impressive collection of house plants that serve as a constant connection to nature, even when indoors.
Kristi, pictured here, brought some amazing plant starts to our Plant Swap last July - thank you Kristi!
How We Met
Kristi was one of the very first Village Refillery customers. She ordered laundry detergent from me even before I’d opened our brick ‘n mortar shop. Determined to go “zero waste”, she was willing to try out the ‘milk man model’ for home cleaning products. I recall delivering her bottles of laundry concentrate and being met with a warm smile at the door. She was excited someone was starting this type of service in the Village and wished me luck in finding a physical spot. Two months later, we’d moved into The Old Schoolhouse at 3650 Corrales Rd and she was once again one of the first customers to show up to support us, reusable tote bags and empty bottles in hand!
Breaking the Chain
When I asked about her biggest motivator for adopting a zero-waste lifestyle, Kristi shared: “It’s the idea that someone has to break the chain regarding disposable products. We need to find a new way of consuming for the future of the planet.” Her answer is an excellent call-to-action that encourages us consumers not to lose sight of our power. Though the plastic waste crisis and resulting ecological destruction is largely the fault of mega corporations, oil & gas, and billionaires flying the globe in private jets, their success is directly tied to our consumption habits. If there was very little market demand for plastic products, plastic subsidies would diminish. If we refused to use single-use products, sustainable innovations would replace them.
Kristi’s Sustainable Practices
Kristi’s low waste journey began with small swaps like refilling shampoo and some dry food staples at the Montanita co-op (a 20 minute drive from her home). But once we opened walking distance from her front porch, she was able to make giant strides in reducing her home waste production. In 2024, thanks to her ambition and our local refill shop, Kristi made the switch to refilling:
laundry detergent & stain remover
all purpose, bathroom, and glass cleaners
sunscreen, & locally made bug repellent
facial care products (toner, facial oil, and face cream)
At the household level, packaging & container waste is the largest contributor to landfill in the US. According to a 2021 report by Environment America Research & Policy Center, “Over 28% of all U.S. garbage is packaging, amounting to 82 million tons of material.” (1)
Estimating how often average households buy the above products each year, my best guess is that Kristi has eliminated at least 48 containers per year from her household waste. If all 3,570 households in Corrales did this, we’d collectively divert 171,360 containers from the waste stream each year. If all of Rio Rancho & Albuquerque households did the same, that number would jump to 13,674,192 containers! Let that sink in for a moment:
As a community, we’re capable of eliminating over 13 million (mostly plastic) containers from the waste stream in just ONE year.
Future Sustainability Goals
Looking ahead in 2025, Kristi plans to take on one of my favorite sustainable home hobbies: composting. This is calculated on her part. After packaging, the second largest source of household waste in the U.S. is food waste (accounting for ~21% of collected garbage). If you combine food waste with yard waste (which is also compostable), that figure surpasses packaging waste, coming in at 34% of US garbage (1). Thus, home composting is one of the best ways individuals can reduce their household’s footprint. As a bonus, it also produces a boat load of free soil you can use for home gardening.
Kristi says she might try subscribing to the Little Green Bucket, acknowledging her past attempts at backyard composting have not gone well. She admits, “Every year I try to compost, and every year I crash and burn”. This gave me an idea to host a composting workshop as one of our future community events. If I can do it, you can do it! More on that to come…
Favorite Products from The Village Refillery
Kristi’s go-to items from The Village Refillery include the tinted facial sunscreen butter and refillable zinc-based sport sunscreen, which proved invaluable even in winter during a recent beach vacation. She also loves our Slow Skincare Trio, calling it a “game-changer” for her skincare routine. She loves having a locally made option for high quality, refillable skincare products.
Nature’s Sanctuary
Kristi’s love for the outdoors draws her to New Mexico’s stunning natural spaces. Whether walking in the Bosque or exploring the state and national forests, she finds peace and inspiration among the trees. “I love the mountains and being among trees more than anything,” she says, as the smell of Piñon and Juniper help ground her nervous system and reinvigorate her appreciation for nature.
Supporting Caregivers
In addition to her sustainability efforts, Kristi is passionate about supporting caregivers. She highlights the Alzheimer’s Association, which offers education, research funding for patients and families, and caregiver support classes. As an active caregiver herself, she encourages folks to reach out to others in this role and offer support. “Caregiving is hard, and most of us don’t ask for help,” she admits.
We’d additionally like to mention a resource for aging seniors in Corrales called Village in the Village. This volunteer-run organization fosters social and community connection for Corrales seniors. Volunteers support not only seniors but also caregivers in the Village by providing non-medical respite visits. Benefits of membership for seniors include transportation services, help with household shopping & chores, and a vibrant social calendar filled with book clubs, movie nights, communal restaurant outings, and informative ‘special topics’ presentations by guest speakers.
Join Us in the Refill Revolution
Kristi’s journey is a testament to the impact our individual actions have in creating a more sustainable future. By sharing her journey, we hope to inspire you and others to explore zero-waste living. Whether it’s through small changes or significant lifestyle shifts, our tiny but mighty refill shop can help!
Thank you, Kristi, for being part of The Village Refillery community and for sharing your low waste journey with us. Together, we can break the chain of disposable consumption and create a greener future for future generations.
We’d love to hear your story!
Want us to feature you in our next customer spotlight? Send us an email at Lauren@thevillagerefillery.com and we’ll send you brief a questionnaire.
Interested in attending a composting workshop? Please let us know so we can prioritize this for future community events.
Sources:
1. https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/trash-in-america-2/