Clean Living
Cut your waste with CLEO
Words by Courtney Hancock
While the new brick-and-mortar store in Nashville has undeniably beautiful branding and packaging, CLEO is so much more than a stylish storefront. CLEO—which stands for clean, local, ethical, and organic—lives up to its name by providing premium refillable household products that are turning Southern homes into sustainable homes.
Kelly Connolly is the brains and beauty behind the brand, along with co-owners and sisters Rebekah Miller and Hannah Fowler. As a long-time go-getter, business owner, and entrepreneur, and with a background in fast fashion, she had a front-row seat witnessing the harmful impact clothing can have on the environment when garments are loaded with chemicals. It quickly became a passion project to figure out a simple way for regular people to live a lifestyle that was kinder to our bodies and to the environment.
Many people are starting to realize the negative effect toxins can have on our health. Kelly has seen people, especially millennials, approach clean living positively and openly, but always weighing the question, Where do I even begin? From the outside, zero waste can seem daunting. Kelly says, “We all want to look our best and feel our best, but there’s a notion that it comes with a hefty price tag.”
When thinking about eliminating toxicity, most people start with food. But they forget to think about harsh chemicals entering the body through the largest organ—skin. Because most of the products applied to our skin are stored in our houses, Kelly and her co-owners have found a way to make it easy and enjoyable for people to start the journey toward clean living at home. With CLEO’s refillable model, people are actually able to live a clean lifestyle and save money.
How is that possible? Upon purchasing a product from CLEO, customers are encouraged to keep their non-plastic containers and return to refill them at a lower cost. After their first purchase, customers pay for the premium product only—production and packaging are covered after the first visit. It’s a completely different model from having to purchase a full product and package each time you need to refill laundry detergent at the grocery store. As a direct result, money is saved, spending is ethical, and homes are healthy. And as a by-product, a new generation of recyclers is born.
Not only does its products reduce waste, CLEO’s beautiful branding and pretty packaging is ever-so-satisfying to look at. “We want to make it fun, not a sacrifice. We don’t want people to hide their cleaning products, but to make them pretty!” says Kelly.
You can have it all—non-toxic products that are aesthetically pleasing and at an affordable price. Can you imagine a world where we live in chemical-free homes and cleaning products are put on display? It might have sounded crazy a few years ago, but not today. CLEO proves healthy homes are easier than ever to achieve. With its innovative business model, CLEO is pioneering the clean product industry in the South.
Excited to try clean products from CLEO? Use code “GOODGRIT” for 20% off your order.