Wonderfil Comes to Lewis & Clark

Lewis & Clark College students, faculty, and staff will soon have a new way to purchase discounted everyday household and personal care products while reducing single-use plastic waste.

Beginning this fall, Wonderfil will install a refill vending machine in the Lewis & Clark Mail Room. Available 24 hours a day, the station will dispense Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure-Castile Soap, ECO laundry detergent, shampoo, and conditioner. Users must bring their own container (any container will do) and Wonderfil’s technology will meter the product as they dispense (like a gas pump) and you only pay for exactly the amount you dispense.

Amelia Eichel BA ’20, cofounder and CEO of Wonderfil.The refill station is designed to make refilling your daily-use toiletries as simple as refilling your water bottle. Products are sold by the ounce, allowing customers to refill any amount into any container instead of purchasing a new plastic bottle each time.

Wonderfil was founded by Amelia Eichel BA ’20, who developed the concept while studying at L&C’s Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership. The idea grew out of her research on the role of single-use plastic packaging in supply chains, which led her to explore ways to make a scalable refill system that is more efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly.

It’s incredibly meaningful to bring Wonderfil to Lewis & Clark, where this idea first began. It’s exciting to see it come full circle by making refilling available to the next generation of L&C students. I’m grateful to the college for supporting this initiative.

Amelia Eichel

Unlike many traditional refill systems, Wonderfil allows customers to use their own containers and pay by the ounce, eliminating the need for buying a compatible container or weighing the container you brought.

Wonderfil purchases products in bulk, reducing packaging and distribution costs. Those savings are passed on to customers, making refilling less expensive than purchasing comparable products in new retail packaging.

In order to participate, the Lewis & Clark community will have the option to purchase refill credits (stored in a Wonderfil Pass in your Apple or Google wallet) for an additional 20 percent discount. This opportunity will only be available until September 14. More information about the Wonderfil Bulk Program is available here.

Instead of shopping at a store to buy your toiletries before arriving on campus, support this alumna-owned business and save money by bringing your own bottles and filing them up when you get to campus.

Throughout the academic year, Wonderfil will also host educational events and partner with campus organizations to promote waste reduction, community input into the products they want to dispense on campus, and systems change leadership.

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