Thursday is Earth Day, and amid a huge rise in internet shopping – made even greater by the COVID-19 pandemic – the amount of plastic and packaging being used seems to be heading in the wrong direction for the environment.

Those who travel around the state may notice lots of litter. And there is one New Jersey woman who is leading the charge to reduce the amount of plastic and litter in the Garden State.

Janette Spiezio is the owner of Sustainable Haus in Summit. It is a zero-waste, plastic-free, package-free refill shop that makes many of its own products.

“Zero waste is being package-free and plastic-free because sometimes the products are actually plastic, having no toxins and no environmental impact,” says Spiezio.

Customers can come with their own containers or buy glass ones and get refills on shampoo, laundry detergent, soap or other products.

“And then we have things like lotions, we actually have refillable sunscreen,” Spiezio says.

The business also accepts items for recycling that local trash collectors won’t take, like toothbrushes. There are also reusable products to replace disposable ones like shaving razors.

Spiezio started the business after spending 30 years in corporate life.

“Summit’s trash gets burned in Elizabeth. I live in Westfield. Westfield’s trash gets burned in Newark,” she says.

Spiezio says that people who want to start using sustainable products should start off small, by replacing one item and then working their way to more.

Sustainable Haus also sells its goods every other week at the Summit Farmers Market.