The P Word

Paraffin has gotten a bad rap as the world has made an effort to "go green". Perhaps the fact that I make the bulk of my candle income from paraffin wax pillar candles is what made me decide to start donating 5% of all purchases to the Environmental Defense Fund. But it doesn't matter if you think I did it out of green guilt, as a generous gesture, or a gimmic to increase sales... what matters is the truth about paraffin.

All over the internet you can find postings about the harmful effects of paraffin. The thing I wonder if people notice is that the authors of the information are usually the same person making and selling soy candles, which is why they follow the list of reasons not to buy paraffin with a monologue on the benefits of soy. I might respect their opinions more if I felt they were truly backed up with scientific facts. But, I tried clicking the link to the supposed EPA Report which details how paraffin candles ruin your indoor air quality, and the report was "not found". I guess we will have to wait a bit longer to back up our opinions on candle pollutants.

For now, let me list some of the main criticisms and my opinion as to their validity:

(1) Paraffin is a byproduct of crude oil, which we know to be harmul to the environment. In regards to the toxic chemicals supposedly released into the air as paraffin candles burn, I would like to point out one key ingredient not cited as a factor: the wick. Paraffin candles have traditionally been made with lead core wicks, the true culprits of unclean air. I used them when I first began making candles because I didn't know any better, but switched as soon as I saw the 100% cotton alternative. And I can tell you from observation that the flame from a lead core wicked candle does emit an ominous black cloud of smoke. While I still have never seen the EPA report detailing the carcinogens in paraffin candles, if it does exist, I am confident those candles had lead core wicks.

(2) Paraffin is petroleum based; it comes from a non-renewable resource. I cannot debate much on this point. Unlike soy wax, the ingredients needed to create paraffin definitely cannot be grown from seeds. However, soy wax is far too soft to be used in a pillar candle unless blended with paraffin. Furthermore, soy wax is more white than clear, which limits my ability to make dark colored candles. So for now, I choose to keep making my pillar candles with paraffin and to promote my new recycled jar candles with 100% soy wax. I highly doubt the world's candle obsession is the one that will use up valuable resources first, so let's focus on more important items like clean water and alternative energy.

(3) Buying petroleum based products supports the evil oil industry. Seriously?! It is hard for me to believe someone would think their choice to not purchase paraffin candles would be felt by the oil giants. They probably wouldn't even notice a change in revenue if you stopped driving completely and never bought a drop of fuel from them again... but at least that would make a significant environmental impact.

(4) Paraffin candles create soot, but soy candles don't. Do you honestly believe that there is anything anywhere that when burned would produce no soot? The only control you have is over the amount of soot, which can be limited by a properly trimmed wick and an undisturbed flame. Again I have no scientific evidence to back up my opinion, but was interested to read on a fellow candle maker's website that not all soot is black. In fact, soy candles produce white soot. Furthermore, the soot produced from any candle is no more harmful than the soot produced by heating cooking oil on your stovetop.

(5) Paraffin is not biodegradable. It may not break down when sent to a landfill, but there is hardly any wax left when one of my pillar candles finishes burning. And, I take those leftover nubs and melt them back down the next time I make a similar batch. I would be more than happy to take wax back from my customers for recycling... though it would have to be from a Homemade by Hoyt candle to ensure it was the right wax blend.

Resources:
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/soy-vs-paraffin-candles-the-great-debate-39919.html
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/soycandles.htm
http://www.scented-soy-wax-candles.com/paraffin-candles.html

The Scent Lives On

It's Friday night and I'm at home, sipping a bottle of Westerly Vineyards 2002 Estate Grown Cab Franc Merlot blend. I decided to relax at home and sip some nectar from heaven... as I wandered to my DVD player to pop in another flick, I caught a whiff of ultra rich vanilla. It was coming from the christmas candles I burned until they smothered, and it made me want to write a bit.

Don't you hate it when your container candle burns "all the way" yet there's wax left along the sides? As a candle maker, let me say, I feel your pain but there's just no controlling the flame. I am not infallible, but generally do an excellent job of centering the wick. I always use the specified wick size for the width of the jar because there's no way I'm going to risk my product heating the jar until it shatters. And so, I suppose the unavoidable side effect is a bit of remaining wax. I recommend burning tea light candles inside this remaining "shell" of wax until the jar is as wax free as possible. I am currently experiencing the reality that there is plenty of leftover scent which can be released with the help of a tea light.Thinking about burning every last drop of wax in each jar candle also got me thinking about what to with the jars after that. I'm excited about the fact that I'm saving the earth a bit of carbon dioxide for each reused jar that I make a candle in... if I had bought a brand new one, another five to fifteen ounces of CO2 would have been released into the atmosphere, depending on how much recycled glass had been used to create that particular jar. Making a glass container from 100% raw materials uses about 40% more energy, so there is both a cost and environmental savings to recycling. (I've been reading up on my statistics the past few weeks.)

The reason I'm rambling about all this is because I think it is important to give my jars another life after the candle no longer burns. My first thought was that the soy wax isn't very porous, so it could possibly be scraped out with a butter knife or spoon. I have also found a few suggestions on the internet, one involving your microwave and the other using a vegetable steamer... I'm not sure I'm thrilled with any of the options at this point, but when my current jar candles finish burning I'm going to try them out and document the process. There are so many things these containers can be reused for. Obviously at my house I can make another candle, but they could store candy, buttons, jewelry, coins... or you could use some as flower vases. If you have enough jars around the house, then put them out with the recycling trash so they can find new life as an ingredient in concrete or fiberglass. There is no limit to the number of times glass can be recycled, so don't let the cycle stop with you... stay tuned for jar cleaning instructions.