Candles can lend any room a unique atmosphere. With the holiday season coming, many people will choose them to decorate the table, shelves or countertops of the house. Unfortunately, though we hardly think about it, even candles can pollute. Not just because of the packaging but also because of the very material from which they are made. But do not worry, eco-friendly alternatives exist and today we’ll list them all for you.
Eco-friendly candles: which ones to choose so as not to pollute
Many candles on the market are made of kerosene or stearin. The first ingredient is a derivative of petroleum, the second is made from palm oil, the production of which we know is related to deforestation. These types of candles are extremely common and cheap. Unfortunately, however, they pollute both during production and during their usage and disposal.
The main green alternative to these ingredients is beeswax. It is a natural, non-polluting product that is easily found on the market either ready-made or in sheets or flakes for making DIY candles. Its cost is around 14 euros per kilo. Otherwise we could also choose candles made from soybean oil or other vegetable fats derived from tobacco or cocoa processing. In general, in order to respect and save natural resources, we should use candles sparingly, lighting them only when necessary and using them to the end before replacing them.
Decorating with candles in a eco-friendly way
Ingredients are not all. The packaging also contributes to pollution. Therefore, if we want to decorate with candles in a eco-friendly way, we should prefer to buy ” bare” candles or those contained in recyclable or reusable packaging. Better, for example, are candles sold in glass rather than those with aluminum backing and packed in plastic. Finally, a thought also about “fake” candles. If you think that LED candles can be a good green alternative to kerosene candles you are wrong. They are in fact made of plastic materials and contain various metallic parts inside them. If they were to break, you would have to throw them away at a collection point for technological items but, sadly, most of the time they end up in the mixed trash.
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