Refillable Detergent Program at the Manitou Art Center


Want to reduce your footprint for single use plastic? Like to save money? Come to the MAC! Thanks to Neale Minch's single use plastic initiative, you can bring your reusable containers to 515 and stock up on laundry, dish and dishwasher detergent for a fraction of what you spend in the grocery store! Detergents are located in the Community Kitchen in the 515 building.

Neale says, " After watching Blue Planet II and learning about the sheer volume of plastics floating in the world's oceans, my wife and I decided to take efforts to reduce our plastics footprint. One of these steps is to purchase select household products in 5 gallon buckets, decant into old jugs and allow people to come in and refill their old laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and automatic dishwasher liquid containers AT COST. All these products are ranked quite highly by the Environmental Working Group and are the ECOS brand - available at stores like Natural Grocers. A gallon of these products will typically cost $11.60. This started in our garage and has moved to the 515 MAC building thanks to Dustin and Natalie. This means we can scale the initiative and thereby further reduce our plastics footprint."

During this time, you can still obtain your laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and hand soap at the MAC.  Program originator, Neale Minch is also making them available from his garage.

Update from Neale (August 2020): 

We continue to enable refills both at the MAC and from my garage. This seemed like as a good a time as any to give some product updates: So far this year, despite COVID, we have consumed as much product as for all of 2019 - which is over single use 200 plastic bottles removed from the waste stream. The 5 gallon buckets continue to go to those who need for their own use.

Product updates

1. Laundry - We have received the DROPPS laundry detergent pods. So now you can choose between traditional laundry liquid detergent or the pods. For now we will carry both conventional liquid and the pods. What I would like to know is which would you prefer - the conventional liquid or the liquid in pod? Cost is 20 cents a pod, so similar cost to liquid detergent - BUT NO PLASTIC

2. Hand dish washing liquid - we have had issues with this being thick. I believe this is related to temperature as the stuff in my garage is very fluid now. Demand seems to be low and I think we will reconsider if we continue to buy

3. Automatic dish washer - we have moved to pods (from DROPPS) and these are 20 cents each. About to order a 2nd box

 Product
 Price Each
 Bulk Price


DROPPS Automatic Dishwasher powder pods 20 cents each  25 for $5 

50 for $10

DROPPS Laundry Gel pods 20 cents each

25 for $5

50 for $10

ECOS Laundry detergent9 cents per fluid oz  
 ECOS Dishwashing liquid 9 cents per fluid oz  



Your Neighborhood Art Center for 32 Years

Music, theatre, pottery, printmaking, and other loud, slightly dangerous, and intensely messy events happen here daily. Locals and tourists alike flock to our galleries, studios, exhibition space, and classrooms.  Our spacious facilities can also accommodate events, conferences and offices. experiences are unlimited - how will you enjoy the MAC?

Hours: Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday and Monday CLOSED

Address: 513/515 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829 

Phone: (719) 685-1861 


Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software