Tea lights post sparks recycling frenzy
A Facebook post about recycling tealights has had an unexpected reaction, with requests from people across the UK wanting to know more.
The Recycled Candle Company posted an image of founder Richard Hills-Ingyon holding a bag of tealights to illustrate that the business can recycle them.
Richard said: “Most people know that we recycle used candles, but we were getting asked more and more about tealights and the possibility of recycling leftover wax.
“We were absolutely amazed by the reaction, with hundreds of people liking and sharing the post, and asking for information.”
In fact, the post attracted questions, comments and pledges to send used tealights from people as far away as Manchester, Newcastle and Sussex. There was even a comment from Texas saying they needed a similar initiative there!
The process is to shred the tealights and extract all the wax to make new candles. “We can’t reuse the aluminium ourselves so this is taken by recycling company binit to be recycled into other products, achieving a zero to waste target.”
For those living at a distance, the best method of getting tealights, or any other used candles, to The Recycled Candle Company is by post.
Co-founder Sargon Latchin explained: “Obviously there’s a cost involved with posting, but there are other ways – for example we have customers from elsewhere in the country who visit Exeter every year, bringing their old candles with them specially to give to us.
“One local has set up her own recycling point for neighbours to use and we have collection points at Otter Furniture in Ottery St Mary and the Sid Valley Country House Hotel in Sidbury. Further afield we’re collaborating with Bath Abbey, who are not just recycling their own candles but also putting in a collection point for the public to use, once refurbishment work is complete.”
Currently The Recycled Candle Company estimates keeping up to 400kg of used wax from going into landfill each month. “But with all the interest we’ve had about recycling wax we see that figure rising all the time!” added Sargon.
Drop off or post your tealights or other used candles to the shop at 16 Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LS.
