Useful is located in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. Courtesy of Usefull.
Ever feel like you’re drowning in plastic? You buy a product, use it up, and poof – another empty package in the trash. Even tossing it in the big blue bin leaves you wondering: is it really getting recycled or are you just wish-cycling?
Every day, millions of products are sold in single-use plastic containers destined for landfills after just one use.
Adriana Kao, an intrepid Dallas entrepreneur, thinks she has an answer. Her enterprise Usefull is a refillery and zero-waste shop nestled in an historic enclave in Oak Cliff, that helps customers cut down on single-use plastics.
The shop at 207 Tyler Street puts a new spin on the phrase, BYOB – bring your own bottles. Think: the bulk section of your grocery store, but instead of cereal or nuts, Usefull offers refillable household and personal care staples. Rather than purchasing shampoo, body soap or laundry detergent in new containers each time, shoppers can bring their own empties, refill them and reuse them. It’s an easy way to keep trash out of the waste stream and also save money.The bonus? It feels good too.
ECO-FRIENDLY INSPIRATION
The story of Usefull begins far from Dallas. Kao grew up in Ecuador, surrounded by the majestic beauty of the Andes mountains and nearby rainforest. But it was a childhood trip to the Galápagos Islands that changed everything. Seeing rare wildlife and unique ecosystems, she realized just how easily they could be lost.
“Admiring the unique beauty of the islands, I realized how fragile our planet is, and how we are all responsible for protecting it,” Kao recalls.
That spark ignited her lifelong journey of sustainability, from composting to cutting back on plastics.
When Kao later moved to the U.S., she carried those values with her, but found eco-friendly, affordable products hard to access when she moved to Dallas in 2018. Out of that frustration and her passion for sustainability, Usefull was born.
FROM POP-UP TO FILL-UP
Kao first tested the waters in 2020 with a weekly farmers market booth. Despite the challenges of launching during a pandemic, her venture was well received. Shoppers loved the products, and practicality, of refillable basics without all the plastic waste.
By June 2024, demand had grown enough for Kao to open her first brick-and-mortar shop in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District. Just down the street from the Bishop Arts Theatre, the store has become a destination for eco-minded shoppers and a hub for sustainability education.
“The fun part is realizing zero-waste doesn’t have to be scary,” Kao says with a grin. “Pick just one thing, maybe refill your laundry detergent. Once you’ve done it, you’ll want to progress to other things, other areas of your life, and step by step, you’ll realize how much less waste you’re creating for the world.”
A MOVEMENT IN THE MAKING
Since its early days as a pop-up store, Useful has helped divert more than 7,300 plastic bottles from landfills. That’s a striking figure, but what’s even more inspiring is how those bottles represent countless small, mindful choices by Usefull customers. For every refill, that’s one less piece of plastic tossed in the garbage. Step by step, it’s becoming a real Usefull movement.
One loyal fan is Diane Evans who has been shopping with the business since its farmers market days. Her go-to items include dish soap, shampoo and conditioner, plus tub and tile cleaner. Evans simply brings her own containers, no matter what logos they already bear, and fills them again and again. The Usefull folks label each refill with a sticker so Diane knows exactly what’s inside.
BEYOND THE BOTTLE
Of course, Usefull is more than just soap and suds. The shop also curates eco-friendly alternatives that are hard to track down in conventional stores – like toothpaste tablets, reusable paper towels, dryer balls, plastic-free lip balms and compostable sponges. Each product is carefully and ethically selected to make low-waste living practical and affordable.
Evans admits she’s hooked on one particular item.
“I love the facial sponges and I’ve given away so many,” she says with a laugh. “Every time I buy a new one, I seem to give it away as a gift and then I have to buy another for me!”
These clever half-moon sponges from Me Mother Earth ($5.99 each) are made from biodegradable konjac plants, which gradually dissolve over time, no microplastic waste in sight. The same vendor also supplies bamboo dental floss and loofah sponges, both available at usefull.
GREEN LIVING AND LEARNING
Usefull isn’t just about products, it’s about community too. The shop hosts eco-friendly workshops and events, from candle-making to composting, cleanups to clothing swaps. Their space accommodates up to 16 guests and Kao is eager to expand programming even further.
Future plans include growing product lines, partnering more with community members and launching a local delivery service to make eco-friendly swaps even easier for those who can’t visit the store regularly. Kao continues to bring in new people to the refilling concept at the Coppell Farmers Market and other local events and is a regular vendor at Oak Cliff Earth Day.
A FULL-CIRCLE FUTURE
For now, the Usefull storefront is proof that small businesses can spark big change. Every bamboo toothbrush and dryer ball is more than just a purchase — it’s a tiny victory for the planet.
And the best part? Living sustainably doesn’t have to be complicated, pricey or reserved for a select few. It can be as easy (and satisfying) as filling up a shampoo bottle.
So for North Texas eco-warriors ready to lighten their footprint, the message from Oak Cliff is clear. Protecting the planet starts at home: one refill, one product swap – one container at a time. Who knew saving the Earth could feel this good?