One customer is so committed to her eco-friendly routine that she plans her weekends around it. “Oh no, this Saturday I’m not free – it’s for Refiller Mobile!” she tells her friends.
That’s the kind of dedication Oh Sok Peng, the founder of Refiller Mobile, never expected but is thrilled to see from her customers.
“It’s very nice that people are putting effort and time aside for this kind of initiative. It’s also very rewarding for me to hear that people prioritise me!” the 47-year-old Ipoh-born entrepreneur shared with FMT Lifestyle.
Three years ago, Oh swapped her career in media production for a zero-waste store on wheels, selling refillable cleaners, healthy snacks, and personal care essentials from her van.
The concept behind Refiller Mobile is simple yet powerful: communities invite the van into their neighbourhoods, and residents bring their empty bottles to be refilled.
“We ask them to gather 10 to 20 families. First of all, we want more people to be involved in these activities. Secondly, we want to help reduce our carbon footprint,” she said.
Instead of 10 separate cars driving to a refill store, one van comes to them. Her regular weekend stops include Jalan Gasing, Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Petaling Jaya, and Damansara. Setting up takes just 15 minutes, and she operates for about four hours at each location.
The idea for Refiller Mobile took root while Oh was volunteering with Zero Waste Malaysia and noticed a common problem – people wanted to reduce plastic waste, but convenient refill options were scarce.
“If I have a van, I can reach out to you rather than you coming to me. It will be more convenient and accessible. People will have no reason to say no,” she mused. And just like that, Refiller Mobile was born.
This roving zero-waste store delivers everyday essentials straight to residents – without the single-use plastic. The response has been overwhelming.
Customers who were once sceptical now look forward to her visits, and some even bring their children, turning refilling into a fun, educational family activity.
In fact, while waiting their turn, neighbours often strike up conversations, exchanging tips on sustainability and daily life. “This is the rewarding part that I didn’t see, the community bonding. I feel it’s very valuable.”
Oh also said that while weekend bookings filled up quickly, weekdays were a challenge until a teacher invited her and her trusted van to a school event. The school already had an eco-club teaching kids about recycling, so the van was a perfect fit.
“When they heard about Refiller Mobile, they got very excited and they wanted to see the van. And when we got there, the response was so good! The parents really enjoyed our product,” Oh recalled.
Then the teacher suggested a monthly refill which Oh accepted wholeheartedly. Now parents pre-order and all they need do is exchange clean bottles when Refiller Mobile shows up.
Encouraged by the growing interest in her van, Oh began thinking bigger. “For this year, I hope to achieve two things. One is mentorship – if anyone wants to open up the same business in their hometown, they can reach out to us. We’re happy to guide you so that you can take the shorter route.”
She also wants to expand her work with schools. “Refill exercises should start young. We’re running out of landfills, and the waste we produce every week could fill up a KLCC tower. We need to tell the future generation to start making changes in their daily habits.”
But for Oh, education alone isn’t enough – there must be a shift in mindset. She said recycling is only one option but not the solution to waste. Recycling takes a lot of resources and effort, she said, and in Malaysia, there simply aren’t enough recycling centres.
Instead of waiting for waste to pile up, Oh said the challenge is cutting out waste before it is created.
That’s exactly what Refiller Mobile is here for – making waste reduction effortless through the act of refilling.
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