Sol Refill
Sol Refill is a Pittsburgh-based zero-waste delivery service founded in 2022 that delivers pantry, body, and home goods in returnable glass containers to eco-conscious households within a 15-mile radius of its East Liberty warehouse, with a $1 reward per reusable container returned.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sol Refill does
Sol Refill is a Pittsburgh-based direct-to-consumer retailer that delivers pantry, body, and home goods in returnable glass containers to households within a 15-mile radius of its East Liberty warehouse. Founded in 2022 by Sydney Shoff and operating as Sol Refill LLC in Pennsylvania, the company is positioned as Pittsburgh's first zero-waste delivery service, addressing the single-use plastic waste problem with a "low-waste" rather than strict zero-waste philosophy. The customer base is eco-conscious residents in the Pittsburgh metro who want to reduce disposable packaging without the friction of bulk-store shopping.
The product offering is dual-format: (1) Refills — pantry staples (oats, flour, oils, honey, coffee, spices), body care (hand soaps, bar soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars), and home cleaning products (laundry detergent, dish soap, multi-surface cleaners) that arrive in returnable glass containers, and (2) Supplies — curated plastic-free items such as reusable cloths, Non-Paper Towels, bamboo toothbrushes, cutting boards, and flameless rechargeable lighters that customers keep. The circular economy loop is operationalized through a $1-per-container return reward, in-house cleaning and sanitization protocols, and a partnership with Harvie that allows jar returns via the Harvie farm-delivery network for a $3 per-bottle deposit. The catalog spans 151 SKUs.
The business model is transactional rather than subscription-based. Customers place orders on a Shopify-powered storefront by Sunday at 10:00 PM for Wednesday delivery, with a $25 order minimum and tiered delivery fees (free within 5 miles, $4.99 for 5-10 miles, $7.99 for 10-15 miles) from the 15208 zip code. The company is small (1-10 employees), bootstrapped/founder-owned with no disclosed institutional funding, and operates without a mobile app, public API, or AI/ML capabilities. Marketing is concentrated in content (the "Imperfect Green Guide" blog), an email newsletter ("ON THE RISE"), Instagram, community events (Squirrel Hill Farmers Market, pop-ups in North Point Breeze), and earned media features. The company has been recognized as a Duquesne University New Venture Challenge semi-finalist (2022) and featured by PA Eats and the Pitt Big Idea Center.
Sol Refill firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sol Refill
- Legal name
- Sol Refill LLC
- Website
- https://solrefill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sol Refill is a Pittsburgh-based zero-waste delivery service founded in 2022 that delivers pantry, body, and home goods in returnable glass containers to eco-conscious households within a 15-mile radius of its East Liberty warehouse, with a $1 reward per reusable container returned.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sol Refill industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Zero-Waste Home Delivery Services
- NAICS
- Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (424)
- SIC
- Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bulk Food & Refill Stores (Package-Free/Zero-Waste) (CRAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Eco-Friendly Household & Zero-Waste Refill Stores (CRAHAEAG), Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)
Keywords
Where Sol Refill is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sol Refill business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of pantry, body, and home goods delivered in reusable glass containers. Products include refills (in returnable containers) and supplies (one-time purchase items). No subscription required - order as needed model.
- Delivery Fees: Delivery charges based on distance from 15208: Free within 5 miles, $4.99 for 5-10 miles, $7.99 for 10-15 miles. Helps sustain the circular delivery model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-item pricing with order minimum |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sol Refill product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sol Refill delivers pantry staples, body care, and home cleaning products directly to customers' homes within a 15-mile radius of its East Liberty warehouse, using returnable glass containers that customers send back for a $1-per-container reward. Customers place individual orders by Sunday at 10:00 PM for Wednesday delivery, with no subscription required, and can also purchase curated plastic-free supplies they keep. The company operates as Pittsburgh's first zero-waste delivery service, combining a milkman-style refill model with online ordering.
Product overview
Sol Refill is a Pittsburgh-based zero-waste delivery service offering a dual-format product portfolio: (1) Refill products in returnable glass containers covering Pantry (bulk foods, grains, oils, spices), Body (hand soaps, bar soaps, shampoo/conditioner bars), and Home categories (laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaners); and (2) Supplies which are curated plastic-free items customers keep (reusable cloths, cutting boards, brushes, utensils, organizational tools). The core offering centers on doorstep delivery with a container-return rewards program where customers earn $1 per returned jar. The company positions itself as a 'low waste lifestyle' service rather than strict zero-waste, with no subscription required.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zero-Waste Doorstep Delivery Service Weekly doorstep delivery service of curated pantry, body, and home essentials in returnable glass containers, available to households within 15 miles of the East Liberty warehouse. Customers order by Sunday 10 PM for Wednesday delivery with no subscription required and receive $1 per reusable container returned.
- Pantry Refills
Companies that use Sol Refill
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sol Refill technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Sol Refill partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- HarvieminorHarvie is a partnership for order fulfillment and returns. Customers who purchase through Harvie can return Sol Refill jars on Harvie delivery days. Harvie drivers pick up cleaned bottles at pickup spots and return $3.00 bottle deposit as credit on harvie.farm. Only Sol Refill jars purchased through Harvie should be returned to Harvie.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sol Refill competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fillaree: Refill delivery service for cleaning and personal care products in returnable containers. Operates the same door-to-door reusable-container circular model as Sol Refill, making it a directly comparable refill-by-delivery peer.
- EarthHero: Online marketplace for sustainable everyday goods spanning home, body, and pantry categories. Comparable curated, vetted sustainable-everything DTC positioning without the refill container system.
- by Humankind: DTC refillable personal care and home brand selling in returnable/recyclable packaging. Directly comparable refill-loop model applied to body and home categories that overlap with Sol Refill's body and home offerings.
- Package Free Shop: Online and physical retailer selling plastic-free, refillable household and personal care essentials. Closest analog to Sol Refill's refill + curated supplies model, with national reach that Sol Refill lacks.
- Public Goods: DTC essential-goods brand selling sustainable pantry, body, and home basics via subscription and one-off orders. Comparable assortment across the same three category pillars and similar target eco-conscious household customer.
- The Refill Shoppe: California-based zero-waste refill shop offering bulk refill goods and reusable household items in physical and online channels. Directly comparable refill retail concept with broader assortment and longer operating history.
- Zero Market: Refill store concept operating physical locations focused on package-free pantry, body, and home goods. Comparable zero-waste refill retail model at a more localized, in-person format.
Emerging players
- Who Gives a Crap: DTC sustainable household paper and body care brand with eco-forward positioning. Competes for the same environmentally conscious household shopper with overlapping categories like paper goods and home supplies.
- Plaine Products: Refillable personal care brand using returnable aluminum bottles shipped directly to consumers. Adjacent reusable-container circular model; partial category overlap in body care.
Broad incumbents
- Grove Collaborative: Large public DTC brand for sustainable household and personal care essentials delivered on a flexible ordering cadence. Much broader assortment, scale, and brand; competes for the same eco-conscious household shopper.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sol Refill social profiles
Digital presenceSol Refill financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sol Refill leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sol Refill funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sol Refill M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sol Refill
What does Sol Refill do?
Sol Refill delivers pantry staples, body care, and home cleaning products directly to customers' homes within a 15-mile radius of its East Liberty warehouse, using returnable glass containers that customers send back for a $1-per-container reward. Customers place individual orders by Sunday at 10:00 PM for Wednesday delivery, with no subscription required, and can also purchase curated plastic-free supplies they keep. The company operates as Pittsburgh's first zero-waste delivery service, combining a milkman-style refill model with online ordering.
Is Sol Refill a public or private company?
Sol Refill is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sol Refill founded?
Sol Refill was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sol Refill based?
Sol Refill is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sol Refill make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are delivery Fees.
Who are Sol Refill's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fillaree, EarthHero, by Humankind, Package Free Shop, Public Goods, The Refill Shoppe and Zero Market. Emerging players are Who Gives a Crap and Plaine Products. Grove Collaborative is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sol Refill have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sol Refill.
What industry is Sol Refill in?
Sol Refill's product category is Zero-Waste Home Delivery Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAMAA, Bulk Food & Refill Stores (Package-Free/Zero-Waste), with a secondary code of CRAHAEAG, Eco-Friendly Household & Zero-Waste Refill Stores. Its NAICS code is 4244 and its SIC code is 5412.