Our Commitments
We wanted to bring you a candle that was sustainable by design, ethically produced and safe to burn.
Here's how we're doing it.
Ingredients
The Wax
Our candles are made with a natural wax blend of bees, rapeseed, coconut and soy wax. Rapeseed wax – natural, renewable, biodegradable, non-GMO. Beeswax - a by-product of honey production, it’s natural, renewable and biodegradable. Coconut wax is a renewable, high-yield crop. It is also non-GMO. Soy wax – natural, renewable, biodegradable. (Some sources of soy wax are not regarded as sustainable due to impacts from intensive soybean farming processes like deforestation and displacement of small farmers and indigenous peoples.) We use a renewable soy wax product that is certified sustainable, biodegradable and manufactured from renewable sources.
The Fragrance
Our candles are made with a blend of essential oils and botanical fragrance oils. We consciously chose to work with an infusion of both because our research shows that the production of essential oils has a higher environmental, and sometimes ethical, cost than the production of fragrance oils. We have sourced eco-conscious and sustainable alternatives that best respect the environment and a have a positive social impact, rather than simply pushing for a pure essential oil solution.
When we use essential oils, we ensure they are produced responsibly in Europe, transported by ship and do not feature on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
When we decided to incorporate fragrance oils into our candles, we were clear that the oils we use had to be free from petroleum, phthalates, parabens and sulphates.
The Wick
Our wicks are 100% cotton and lead-free.
Packaging
The Container
Our containers are made from pure brass. Brass is a cradle-to-cradle metal, meaning that it is 100% recyclable and can be recycled or repurposed indefinitely - each time it is recycled into a new product, the properties of the metal are retained. It can have an endless life. No other material outside of metal can do this – not glass, ceramic, paper, wood or stone.
The Box
Our candle boxes and liners are made from paper which is made here in the UK. The paper is fully recyclable and biodegradable. The paper is FSC certified meaning the pulps used are from managed forests (for every tree felled, three are planted) and unused water during the paper production process is returned to the river. It is also heavy metal free, and the bleaching process used during production is chlorine free.
Shipping Material
As an e-commerce business, we can’t get away from using packaging to ship our products. We use products that are recyclable, made from recycled materials and right-sized to reduce waste.
The tape used is made from coated brown paper, covered with natural rubber glue and 100% recyclable.
We aim to use right sized boxes for your purchase – reducing wasteful use of packaging and the need for filler. Should we need to use filler, we use 100% biodegradable paper.
These materials are accepted by most home recycling services in the UK.
Processes
Production Process
We strive for an efficient and sustainable production process.
We wick, mix, pour, label and finish our candles by hand, in small batches. We use the exact materials needed at each stage to ensure we do not over produce - as over production can cause significant waste.
Following this process also means we use less energy than larger, machine-led producers.
Shipping & Delivery
As an ecommerce company we need to get our product to you. There are many ways this can happen. Our view is to get our products to you as quickly, cost-effectively and sustainably as possible. This has led us to identify and use delivery companies that are committed to electric vehicles (and investing further in their fleets), carbon offsetting.
Giving Back
Despite our best efforts, our activities will still impact the environment. We work with Ecologi to offset our carbon footprint and we plant a tree for every candle sold.
It doesn't end here. We are always looking for new ways to improve our sustainability efforts. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact us at contact@themuseslondon.co.uk