Jess Thompson opened Bee Joyful shop on the Kalamazoo Mall in 2020 after making and selling plastic-free products like cloth food wraps for years.
“This started when my kids were coming home and talking about the harmful nature of plastics and what it was doing that only to our planet and wildlife and ocean animals, but to our bodies as well,” Thompson said.
When it opened, the store was filled with plastic-free products like coconut sponges and homemade cosmetics, and offered a refill station with products like laundry detergent, bath products and cleaning supplies that customers could fill their own containers with…