Why is candle glass so bad?

Why is candle glass waste so bad?

“It’s not plastic, after all, so could it really be that bad?”

If we had a dollar for every time we’ve heard that, we could put a lot of refillable candle jars in people’s hands. The truth: candle glass has some serious environmental impacts. Here’s why we choose refills over landfills and cut out the nasty single-use middleman.

Did you know, most single-use candle containers are not curbside recyclable? Because candle glass is heat-treated, it resists the traditional facility heat temperatures used to recycle glass bottles and jars. Instead, these candle jars end up in our landfills where they take thousands to millions of years to decompose. We love seeing creative DIYs to repurpose your candle vessels. From succulent planters to cocktail glasses or vases, keeping it fun and functional is always an option. But, if you’re anything like us, there are only so many q-tip holders you need before the glass jars start to feel like exactly what they are: waste.

Secondly, the environmental cost to ship bulky candle vessels is larger than one might think. A standard 1-pound candle can release its weight equivalent in carbon. Flexible packaging, like a refill bag, not only weighs less (and therefore emits less carbon) but also requires less protective packaging. The flexible layers that make the package more versatile can be dropped, squashed, and twisted while keeping their protective form. According to research done by Packaging Strategies, it takes 26 truckloads of unfilled glass jars compared to one truckload of unfilled flexible pouches to transport packaging for equal amounts of product. That’s a big impact.

Refills help limit the millions of single-use vessels that end up in landfills yearly, and the environmental costs of shipping heavy vessels. Easy swaps like flexible packaging make it a no-brainer to candle more responsibly and leave a little less behind.