Lower-income families, and those living paycheck to paycheck, are forced to purchase goods in small quantities. This amounts to a poverty tax, where they're paying 30% to 40% more for the product by unit, according to Chilean entrepreneur Jose Manuel Moller.

In 2013 Moller devised a solution, at least for laundry detergent. By purchasing in bulk himself, then setting up a refill station on his electric three-wheeler, he could sell the product at lower prices to his customers. His company, Algramo (which means "by the gram" in Spanish) seeks to abolish the poverty tax, and their reusable bottles cut down on plastic waste.

Algramo has since transitioned from a mobile approach to a brick-and-mortar one; today they're partnered with Walmart in Chile, and also running trials in the UK.

In the video below, Moller explains his approach, and you can see how the modern-day refill stations operate.

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