A year ago Ashby Cummings opened MI Fillosophy, a Plymouth business she hopes will help the environment and provide organic products. Now she’s working on giving other entrepreneurs a boost by increasing her made in Michigan stock that currently includes BBQ sauce, candles and soaps.

“I’ve been looking for Michigan vendors,” Cummings, 25, said.


Helping the environment

The low-waste bulk food and soap store gives shoppers a chance to refill their used jars to help reduce single-use plastics. In fact, she invites them to bring in any container they have, from zip lock bags to fancy jars, as long as they’re clean. She also offers free containers and others that can be purchased.

Her business mission has a bigger reach considering that globally 400 million tons of plastic waste is used every year and only 9 percent is recycled; 19 percent is incinerated; 50 percent goes to landfills and 22 percent evades waste management and could end up in terrestrial or aquatic environments. MI Fillosophy supporters know where the products come from and that they’re ethically sourced.

Shoppers find various flavored granola; organic spices; beans; grains; coffees; all kinds of teas; pastas; rice; nuts; seeds; baking ingredients; extracts; fine sea salt; olive, coconut and avocado oils; oats; vinegars; house cleaners and soaps, as well as laundry detergent, bath and personal products.

Maybe your shopping list includes chocolate-covered pretzels and peanuts; flaxseed; dried cranberries; peanut butter; coconut whipping cream; seasonings; kitchen utensils; shampoo and conditioner and dairy free cheeses, as well as Machu Picchu and Kombucha drinks and so much more.

The olive oils and white vinegars have always been popular, and now she’s encouraging regular customers to venture out a bit and try different flavors.


Growing product lines

“There has been a good response to the shop,” she said. “I’m getting more traffic. I’ve heard it looks nice, that my spices are super fresh. There’s a lot of good things for sure. Now I’m getting more into the cleaning products, hand soaps, body washes, laundry soap and dish soap, along with food items.”

People realize how easy it is to bring their own spice containers from home, she said, adding that refill stores are popular in Ann Arbor but less common in other communities, like Plymouth and the surrounding area.

The young business owner comes from an entrepreneurial family. Her mom owns CTA Associates, an accounting firm next to MI Fillosophy, and her father owns American Integrated Supplies in Detroit. Two brothers are welders, one is in computer science and another is the bookkeeper for CTA.

Networking with other refill companies and businesspeople in the community has helped her to grow MI Fillosophy. As for the future, Cummings said, she hopes to continue to expand her product line and to remain in Plymouth.

MI Fillosophy is located at 1170 Ann Arbor Road. Go to mifillosophy.com for more information or call the shop at (734) 667-2319.