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Small shop aims for big environmental impact

‘Collaborative social change is cool,’ Indigo River owner says

By Katie Mills GIorgio, - correspondent

Apr. 11, 2023 5:00 am

Rachel Rupert, owner of Indigo River & Co., stands in her shop Thursday in Cedar Rapids. She said her store is the first low-waste refill shop in the city. The shop carries soaps made by Rupert and body care and environmentally friendly items made by other small businesses. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

April is Earth Month, and Indigo River & Co. in Cedar Rapids is ready to help locals find small ways to make environmentally conscious swaps in their homes.

The low/zero waste retail shop offers package- and plastic-free household essentials, including a large selection of eco-friendly products. It stocks wooden dish brushes, dryer balls, reusable snack bags, paperless towels, solid form shampoo and conditioner, soaps and more.

There’s a refill bar where you can replenish everything from hand and dish soap, laundry detergents and stain remover to hair and skin care products. Customers bring their own containers, buy them from Indigo River or borrow them from the community donation jars. The only requirement is that all containers brought in must be clean, dry and odorless.

“My hope is to offer an affordable alternative to big box stores,” said owner Rachel Rupert. “All of our products at the refill bar are plant-based, are good for you and good for the Earth.”

Rupert, 27, opened the store in the summer of 2022, taking her hobby of soap making and her passion for sustainable living to the next level.

“Indigo River & Co. started as a passion project,” said Rupert, who worked full time while living in Fort Collins, Colo., with her husband, Tim.

“We were living a fairly low waste lifestyle because it's extremely accessible there,” she said. “When we moved back to Iowa for my husband's job in 2020, we were shocked by the lack of sustainable access.”

Historic building

Rupert spent the rest of that year and 2021 growing her online soap and macramé business. Then a friend called her about a space, at 1501 C St. SW, that had just opened in Czech Village.

“I knew instantly what the space could be, and the vision came to life from there,” she said. “I have had such incredible support from family and friends. The entire store build-out was done by myself and my family. We all have poured our love into that building ,and I truly think you can feel that when you walk in our space.

“It's an adorable historic building,” she said, noting she packs in nearly a dozen local makers’ products from around the Midwest in the shop’s 450 square feet.

“I strive to source as ethically and sustainably as possible,” she said. “Every product that has been chosen for our shop was done so with the utmost thought and care.”

Sustainability

Rupert said she hopes her shop and the community she is building will encourage people to make those small shifts in their day-to-day life that can make a difference for the planet.

Her store, for example, produces about 70 percent less waste than the average small business, thanks to operating on a closed loop system, where everything that comes in the door, packaging and all, gets reused.

“My mission for this business is to help lead this community's sustainability movement,” she said. “To help my customers, business friends and the city find better solutions to our current systems and help create access to more sustainable products. I am so thankful to be able to do this alongside some incredible people and businesses that are working toward the same goals.”

With nearly a year under her belt, Rupert is excited to continue her mission. She also still makes all the bar soaps sold at Indigo River.

“The soap keeps my creative juices flowing, but finding the community of like-minded humans has changed my life. Cedar Rapids has so many incredible people who just want to make this a better place for everyone.”

Rupert uses the store’s social media channels to share her shop’s products and to offer educational content on sustainability.

“Very small, intentional shifts are how you create longevity in your sustainability journey,” she added. “Let us walk it with you. As we love to say in the shop, collaborative social change is cool.”

Plus she’s excited about the weeks ahead.

“Come celebrate Earth Day with us on April 22nd, and then we will also celebrate one year of business on May 6th and 7th.”

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing mary.sharp@thegazette.com.