Drew Barrymore's Sustainable Home Goods Collab Nods To the Rise of Refillables

The effervescent Drew Barrymore has partnered with sustainable consumer brand Grove Collaborative on a line of 15 home goods products. The limited-edition collection features refillable packaging and two signature scents.

Consumers have signaled that they're ready for refillable and sustainable products, and there’s a blossoming potential to bring them to scale. Celebrity endorsements and partnerships like this one can help influence a growing number of consumers to take the leap toward eliminating excessive packaging and single-use items from their day-to-day lives.

Bright and bubbly like Drew Barrymore

“I am so excited to be launching my first sustainable collection of home care products with Grove Co.,” Drew Barrymore said in a statement. “I wanted to create a line of home accessories that were bright, modern and inspired by the beauty of the natural world. Every piece was designed and crafted to be sustainable, beautiful, and effective for the health of people and the planet. I hope the collection inspires others to take action and embark on their own sustainability journey — making it easier to use less plastic in their daily lives.”

The Fresh Horizons Limited Edition Collection includes refillable dispensers and a refillable glass spray bottle, as well as hand wash sheets, laundry detergent sheets, candles, and a dishcloth made from cotton and biodegradable cellulose. Dish soap, hand soap and multi-purpose cleaning concentrate are available as refills.

Beyond its eco credit, the collection features big pops of color and fun patterns that reflect the star’s bubbly personality and seemingly endless energy — not to mention two island-inspired, special-edition scents developed especially for the line.

There is zero single-use plastic involved in the line. More broadly, Grove Co. — which already opts for refillable packaging over single-use in many of the products it sells — has vowed to eliminate all plastics from products and packaging by 2025.

“Working closely with Drew to craft the concept and design of these products has been such a pleasure, and we have been able to create something beautiful and modern that is also rooted in sustainability," Lucy Leahy, general manager of Grove Co, said in a statement. "This collection combines colorful designs, high-quality materials and high-performing products that are better for people and the planet. We are so excited to bring Drew’s first co-created collection with Grove Co. to life."

Scaling up refillable and sustainable packaging 

For now, refillable and sustainable products like these remain part of a niche market. But between their reasonable prices and celebrity partnerships with the likes of Drew and interior design guru Jeremiah Brent, Grove Co. has the potential to spearhead consumer interest and make converts out of the refill curious.

Indeed, a 2022 study by Trivium Packaging found that nearly 75 percent of consumers have an interest in refillable products, while 86 percent of those under the age of 44 are prepared to pay more for a product if its packaging is sustainable.

“The data ... presents a strong case that transitioning to sustainable packaging is not only the right decision for the environment, but also the right decision for any business,” Jenny Wassenaar, chief sustainability officer at Trivium Packaging, told Grit Daily of the findings. She described how metal packaging in particular is ideal for a circular economy, saying: “Once produced, metals exist forever and can be used, reused, and recycled endlessly without losing quality.”

A blast from the past

Single-use packaging is a relatively new thing, as McKinsey & Coo pointed out in its 2022 study on scaling up reusables. The near monopoly of disposable packaging is a product of very recent history. And although developing the systems to support reusable and refillable packaging may appear difficult, the industry is actually ripe for innovation. While single-use packaging has long been used as a method for advertising, brands could potentially build consumer loyalty by taking the initiative to change the way they package and be at the forefront of a reusable revolution.

Although single-use packaging is cheaper than reusable and refillable alternatives, changes to plastic regulations could play their own role in encouraging the switch. For example, the cost of single-use packaging could very well become prohibitive if the U.N. plastics treaty ends up including “polluter pays” language. Even further, the treaty could put the final nail in disposable packaging’s coffin — if single-use plastics are banned altogether.

As such, brands would do well to make leading the charge toward reusable and refillable packaging part of their purpose. And while innovation will be key, perhaps the most innovative concept can be gleaned from the past — as in standardized containers and home delivery.

The price range for Drew Barrymore's Fresh Horizons Limited Edition Collection starts at $5.49 and goes up to $14.99. The products are available online with Grove and Target and in designated Meijer and Target brick-and-mortar stores.

Image credit: Drew Barrymore and Grove Co. via Business Wire