What do a Waste Systems Expert, a Behavior Scientist, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering have in common? They are all titles that KnoxFill’s owner, Michaela Barnett, holds. Her passion for the environment and giving folks a way to make a difference in their carbon footprint led Michaela to explore the Knoxville area’s needs regarding plastic waste and recycling.
Michaela began her business as a “refillery” in 2021 with a delivery and pick-up model of service. You would place an order for any of the 15 items she began with, and she would drop off your detergent, soap, shampoo, etc, and pick up your old containers to reuse or recycle. She then added “Filomena,” a mobile refilling vehicle she could take to pop-up shops around town.
The average Knox County family produces over 3,000 lbs of waste each year. With only around 9% of plastics recycled since single-use plastics became popular in the 1950s, Michaela aims to reduce Knox County’s waste by 20%. If we could do that, it would eliminate 33 million lbs of waste each year. That is a staggering number.
As her business grew, she began looking for a space to accommodate a shop where she could offer more products and customers could walk in, see things in person and ask questions. After months of looking, she found a spot only 5 minutes from Ijams Nature Center and opened her first brick-and-mortar shop in April 2023. Michaela tells me that 95% of the space shelving and décor is upcycled items she found at thrift shops or was given.
All of the products offered at KnoxFill are non-toxic, and many are vegan. She strives to use local makers when possible, and I viewed quite a few while I looked around the shop. You may recognize Knox Girl Soap, Tonya Rea’s Tea, Smoky Mountain Spices, 865 Candle, and Tina Rosling Pottery in KnoxFill. These are just a few, however. She offers around 35 local maker items for sale. She has grown from 15 items to 100s to provide for the community. Bulk deodorant, skincare, soaps, personal care products, spices, bulk foods, cleaning supplies, and textiles like reusable cotton makeup removers and non-paper towels are just a few of the things that caught my eye.
In 2023, KnoxFill brought in 2,845 new “KnoxFillers.” They participated in 12 markets, pop-ups and workshops. They diverted 22,778 containers from landfills, supported 57 businesses, and Filomena went to 72 markets. Ten local companies utilize KnoxFill’s products, and KnoxFill supports nine employees. They were recognized by Keep Knoxville Beautiful with the Orchid Award for “Green Organization,” and Michaela was recognized as one of Knoxville’s 40 under 40.
In 2024, Michaela wants to continue growing the business, which meant reevaluating some aspects of her business model in the last few months of 2023. One of the changes is that FIllomena, the KnoxFill mobile refillery, is no longer in service. She is off to live a new chapter of her life soon. Less focus will be on growing the pick-up and delivery aspect of the business so that more focus can be on the physical shop and serving more businesses in the area. They will be increasing some of their product lines while decreasing others to keep the things most important to customers and make the most sense financially.
One aspect she has enjoyed in having the physical shop is supporting other local small businesses and providing them with the space to showcase their items and build their businesses. Many of the local
At KnoxFill, you can bring in your own containers to fill up. You will have your container weighed before filling, and the cost of most products is by weight (in ounces). If you do not have containers, KnoxFill has a shelf of already cleaned and weighed containers for customers. You can also bring in and donate clean, non-smelly containers for others to use. It’s a way to upcycle instead of only recycling. Glass and plastic containers are great for most products.
Michaela says it is very important to her that her customers can trust that sustainability fundamentals are in place and that they can come in and feel comfortable that their purchase is making a difference. She also focuses on clean ingredients in all their products and avoids products that may cause harm to the environment. We talked about the decision fatigue when trying to make all the choices we need to make daily. She wants to take away the stress of worrying about choosing a product that is both sustainable and good for the environment and works well, too.
“We are in the business of saving the planet, reclaiming our power and investing in the community.”
Check out the shop at 3211 South Haven Road on Tuesdays- Saturdays from 11-6 and 11-4 on Sundays. Sign up for their newsletter at the bottom of their Homepage. You can also follow them on social media. Facebook and Instagram
