As we celebrate Small Business Week, Economic Development Cowichan would like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on a new small business owner who is leading the way in the refillery and circular economy movement in Cowichan. British Columbia’s small businesses employ nearly 1.2 million people—over half of the province’s private sector workforce—and this week, we turn our gaze toward Stephanie (Steph) Farrow, co-owner of plentiFILL, a changemaker in every sense of the word. Her business is not just selling refillable household and personal products but also rewriting the script on how we engage with waste and sustainability.
Steph, along with her sister-in-law Krystal Aikman, opened plentiFILL in February 2022. Their store, located in downtown Duncan, is an emblem of what a circular economy looks like in action—reusing, refilling, and reducing the flow of waste to landfills. The concept is beautifully simple: you bring your own containers, fill them with everything from dish soap, laundry detergent, and essential oils to toothpaste, and in doing so, take one small but meaningful step toward a more sustainable future. Refilleries help lower a home’s overall carbon footprint as well as limit the use of single-use plastics that would end up in either the landfill or recycled. plentiFILL also has in-house recycling such as cleaning community containers for reuse and a Terracycle program for products like razors and toothbrushes.
The idea for plentiFILL emerged after co-owner Krystal visited a refillery up island—a place where people could buy household products in bulk, minus the packaging waste. “We weren’t planning on starting a business, but once the idea took hold, it just made sense for us,” Steph recalls. It was exactly the kind of business Steph had unknowingly been searching for, a response to her growing discontent with her career in interior design. “I love interior design, but it’s a wasteful industry, especially in commercial spaces. The turnover was exhausting,” she explains. “When Krystal brought this concept up, I realized it might suit me better and that there was a need for it in the community.”
Cowichan itself was the perfect environment for starting such a venture. “It’s big enough to succeed but small enough that you know everyone on the street,” Steph notes, capturing the ethos of a community where sustainability isn’t just a trend—it’s a way of life. The store has a loyal following, with 95% of its customers returning, again and again, refilling their containers and engaging with what feels like a grassroots movement. Steph has also noted a high number of repeat customers throughout heavy tourist seasons.
Yet, it’s not just the products on the shelves or the refill stations that make plentiFILL a standout; it’s the inclusive spirit that drives its operations. Steph has made hiring inclusively a core part of her business model, working with programs like the Clements Centre’s Supported Employment Program to bring new team members into the fold. The store now has six employees.
Small businesses like plentiFILL play a vital role in the local economy, but the journey to success isn’t always easy. For Steph, finding the right support was key. That’s where Community Futures Cowichan stepped in, providing guidance at a critical moment. “Community Futures was essential,” Steph explains. “I had the business plan ready, but I didn’t know what to do next. Kevin from Community Futures helped us navigate everything—from banking and financing to the next steps we needed to grow.” Through participating in Community Futures mentorship programs like the Savvy CEO Program, Steph not only honed her business skills but also gained the confidence to lead. “At first, I felt like the baby in the room,” she admits. “But connecting with mentors who had decades of experience was invaluable.”
Steph’s story isn’t just a tale of entrepreneurial success. It’s a reflection of a larger trend in British Columbia, where nearly 40% of self-employed people are women—one of the highest rates in the country. Female entrepreneurship in BC is on the rise, and Steph’s journey is emblematic of what that looks like in practice. plentiFILL carries many products made by other women-led, Canadian-owned businesses such as Mint cleaning products from Ucluelet and Genesis Tallow based in Victoria, creating a network of small-scale entrepreneurs who are collectively pushing toward a greener, more sustainable future. “We’ve unintentionally aligned with a lot of BC and Canadian female entrepreneurs,” Steph notes, “women who are working just as hard to make amazing products that fit our low-waste ethos.”
Looking ahead, Steph envisions growth for plentiFILL—not in a conventional way, but in a way that stays true to her values. Whether it’s franchising or going mobile, the future of plentiFILL is about spreading the message of sustainability and creating more opportunities for people to engage with the circular economy. “We want to expand thoughtfully, in a way that continues to reflect our mission,” she says.
As Cowichan continues to embrace the circular economy, programs like Project Zero’s Circular Economy Accelerator Program are helping local businesses scale their sustainability practices. This initiative, run in partnership with the CVRD and the Municipality of North Cowichan, designed to foster innovation and support businesses in reducing their environmental impact, is creating pathways for entrepreneurs to integrate circular economy principles into their operations. For small business owners like Steph, these programs can offer critical resources to grow sustainably while staying true to a mission of reducing waste and promoting environmental stewardship.
This Small Business Week, as we recognize the role small businesses play in driving both the economy and culture of communities like Cowichan, we celebrate changemakers like Steph, whose vision and dedication are building a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected future—one refill at a time.