Soy Candles - Being
Environmentally Friendly
by, Ian Richardson
Many people are doing more and more in their lives to be a
little more environmentally friendly. From recycling to
looking for ways to use less fuel by combining errands into
one trip, there are plenty of things you can do to try and
lessen your environmental impact. Believe it or not, the
candles you purchase and light in your home can be a part
of this as well.
When you make a candle purchase you have two options -
regular candles (paraffin) or soy candles. If you want to
be more green and eco friendly, you need to look for the
'soy' labels. Here's a look at the reasons why.
Candle Materials
Do you know what those paraffin candles are made out of?
Paraffin is a petroleum product and as you know there is a
limited amount of petroleum available on the planet. That's
why gas prices keep going so high. On the other side of the
coin are soy candles, which are made from soy beans that
are a completely renewable crop. They can be picked one
season and a whole new crop is ready to be harvested the
next.
Transport
If you purchase paraffin candles, the petroleum for those
candles has likely come from another country and travelled
all over the world to get here, using even more resources
to run those ships, trains and transport trucks. Meanwhile,
the US is filled with soy fields, meaning there were fewer
resources used to get the materials to the factory as the
factories were nearby.
Waste
Another thing to think about is the waste from the candles.
Eventually, you have to throw away what is left of the
candles, right? Well if you are throwing out part of a
paraffin candle, you are adding a petroleum product to the
landfill. Petroleum products do not break down like soy
candles do meaning they will spend many more years in the
landfill, instead of degrading and going back into the
soil.
Smoke
When you light a paraffin candle, black soot is let off
during the burning process. This black soot is carcinogenic
and you are releasing it into the air in your home and into
the environment. Soy candles, on the other hand, are clean
burning candles. While they do give off white soot, it is
not a sticky or dangerous material as is released from
petroleum candles.
Duration of Burn
Soy candles burn more slowly than paraffin candles. This
means a few things for you. First, this means you are
getting up to 50% more candle for your purchase price when
you are using soy candles. Secondly, this means you are not
using as much initial candle material to get the same
candle burn. You are saving resources. Once you have taken
a look at the differences between the two candles, it is
not hard to decide which would be best for you, your
family, and the environment. So, buy your soy candles with
confidence knowing you are making the best choice for all
involved.
TO BROWSE OUR LIST OF SOY CANDLES
CLICK HERE