Hoʻēmi Refill Station

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Hoʻēmi Refill Station

Monthly zero-waste pop-ups every first Saturday at Leilani Estates Community Park.

11/20/2025

After debating this decision for some time, we are saddened to share that Ho’emi Refill Station is shutting down. As much as we love zero-waste goods, the constant levels of high humidity means that we’ve lost a lot of products to mold (which especially loves bamboo products) or oil separation (which occurs with many of our body and hair care bars). While I am still willing to use some of these products here at home, I just don’t feel comfortable selling them to our customers.

We have tried all sorts of methods to extend the life of these products, but for a variety of reasons, it’s just become impractical to sell these items. On top of shelf life issues, many of the wholesalers are not located here in the islands, and the ever increasing shipping costs have made offering affordable options to our customers a challenge. For this reason, we will be shutting the “doors” to Ho’ēmi Refill Station for now. While we will are halting the business, we are continuing to explore affordable, zero-waste options that are better suited to our rainy environment here in Puna, Hawai’i.

We thank you all for supporting us and following along on our journey, it’s been a real pleasure getting to connect with all of you. We hope that one day Ho’ēmi Refill Station can return with affordable products that do well in our tropical climate. Until then, we send you all a warm a hui hou.

11/10/2025

We saw these beauties at the Sea Level Oyster Bar while visiting , Massachusetts. Seriously adore!!

10/21/2025

How’s this for repurposing junk from an old shed!!! Absolutely inspired by this piece from Swoon (Caledonia Curry), which was commissioned for the 2025 Boston Public Art Triennial.

10/10/2025

My old beach bag was getting a little rusty by the strap holes, so I decided to take it apart and use the rope handles as a stand for our glass float balls. Kinda liking it!

10/03/2025

Did you know moss is great at carbon sequestration? Some studies have found it is 4x more efficient at absorbing CO2 than trees! Now cities are using this green hero to naturally cool buildings and reduce carbon emissions in urban spaces. So skip the plastic hanging planters and embrace the art of kokedama this fall.

01/23/2025

Sorry for the tardiness.. the semester started off with a bang!! Nonetheless, as we transition into our Ho’emi lunar phases, we continue to explore the cyclic nature of volcanic flows in the context of our Hawaiian lunar cycles.

Following the creation and cooling of lava flows, they continue to age. In particular, weathering drastically transforms their appearance and pioneer plants that initially populated young lava flows give way to more mature forest ecosystems.

Nāhuku, the famous Thurston lava tube of Kīlauea (shown here), is an aged lava flow and a great example of the Ho’ēmi (waning) lunar phases. As seen in this picture, the original flow and volcanic rock has all but disappeared beneath the establishment of a thriving forest environment.

This post ends our series on the volcanic eruptions. However, please join us as we continue to explore the similarity of other natural processes and the Hawaiian lunar cycles as part of our malama calendar series.

Photo Credit: YinYang from Getty Images Signature

01/11/2025

Our first anahulu calendar showcased Kīlauea’s active eruption, and one might consider this to be analogous to our ho’onui (to grow big, increase) phase of our lunar cycle. Thus, we are continuing to explore the analogous relationship between lunar and volcanic cycles for the next two anahulu of Kā’elo.

The next phase of our lunar cycle, poepoe (full, round), represents the time when our lunar phases are transitioning from a growth phase to a waning phase. Similarly, the arrival and establishment of pioneer plants on cooled lava flows marks (and aids in) the transition from a youthful to a highly weathered flow.

The ʻAe fern seen here is sprouting from a young, ropy, pāhoehoe flow, and is among the first fern species to populate recent lava flows. As plants continue to colonize young flows, they begin to break down and transform the appearance of youthful flows to a more mature state.

12/31/2024

Today is the day that we transition into a new year as well as a new malama. The weather has been beautiful, and Pele has been gracing us with breathtaking displays, all of which has made for a wonderful close to the 2024 solar year.

As we enter into the malama of Kā’elo, we continue with our Makahiki season (which lasts four malama following the rise of the Makali’i star cluster at dusk). Thus, we wish you all the best as you and yours continue the time of feasting, celebration, and peace. A hui hou 2024!

Image Credit:

#2024 #2025

12/23/2024

And she’s erupting again… and making for our favorite solstice sunrise pic yet! What a perfect reminder of the beauty of circular systems and the power of recycling. Happy holidays you all!

Image Credit: USGS Summit We**am

Address

Pahoa, HI

Opening Hours

8am - 11am

Website

http://hoemirefill.com/

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