Camelias Candles Recycle Wax ProgramOur reach has gone from being the only local wax recycler in Lebanon, Oregon, to being the largest regional recycler in our corner of the state.
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How the Recycled Wax Process Works
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Our recycled wax is made from paraffin and soy wax donated by our customers, local resale stores, churches, and salons. We separate the donated wax by type, color, scent, or no scent. Then we make our rainbow of colors in small 100-pound batches.
Because our wax is made in small batches, there will be some color, tone, or shade variation between batches. It’s important to note that there will also be some color variation from the pictures on our website. We control the quality of each batch by being very hands-on during the process. When done, we end up with pure paraffin blocks, pure soy blocks, and blended blocks of the two, depending on what went into each handcrafted batch. |
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Donate Candles, Get New Ones in Return
Feel good about protecting our environment and keeping Oregon green.
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Bring your burned-out, broken, or unwanted candles to Camelias Candles and get new ones! By taking advantage of our candle exchange program, you walk away with new candles and leave us with wax to remold and rehome.
Our recycled wax program has saved over 100 tons of wax so far! When you bring your old candles to us, you are keeping waste out of the landfills, promoting sustainability, and gaining new candles for your home. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, including Mother Nature. |
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Things to know when you bring us Wax… > We accept tapers, pillars, votive candles, tea lights, and candles in containers. > We accept candles with fragrance, as well as fragrance in liquid form, such as essential oils > We accept broken containers that still have wax attached. > Bringing the candles in a bag or box helps with organization. |
Why Recycling Wax is at the Heart of Everything We Do
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Since we started offering recycling of burned, broken, and unwanted candles, Camelias Candles has returned over 100 tons of wax to Oregon's circular economy.
This means we help: |
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Reduce our dependence on new wax, keeping wax prices more affordable for local artists and artisans. |
Keep wax prices more affordable for our local artist community, passing along their cost savings to the people who purchase their works. |
Entry into candle making becomes more accessible for new candle makers. |
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FUN FACT Paraffin wax is made as a by-product of the oil refining process. It is non-toxic, and each year it’s used to make 3 billion Crayola crayons, 1.5 billion paint balls, and 1 billion pounds of candle wax. Returning paraffin into the circular economy helps diminish our reliance on new oil products. While soy and palm wax are more sustainable than paraffin, it is still an earth-friendly idea to use recycled stock rather than turning to unrecycled sources. |
How You Can Use Recycled WaxThere are many ways recycled wax can be used.
Here are a few ideas: > Lubricating windows and drawers > Making floor wax > Making batik fabric > Creating fire starters > Lubricating surf, snow, or skateboards > Candles, of course! Do not use our recycled wax on food products. Our wax is not food-grade, so we discourage its use for canning and preserving. Interested in buying bulk wax? We have that! |