If you've been wondering how to repurpose leftover wax in old candle jars, you came to the right place.
Instagrammer Claire (@forever_and_always_home), who shares interior design ideas and tips, showed viewers a simple, mess-free way to make wax melts.
The scoop
If you have spent candles with wax at the bottom, why not turn them into wax melts and save money buying new ones?
Add boiling water to the candle, remove the wick, and let the wax set. When it floats to the top, remove the wax with either your hand or a spoon and reuse it as a wax melt.
You can clean and repurpose the jar for storage, a small planter, or a table decoration.
"Yes, the wax melting this way can be avoided. I've also shared hacks previously to correct uneven wax. The purpose of this is for when it's past that point. There's no need to throw any away!" Claire said in the caption.
How it's helping
Making your home smell nice isn't cheap, especially if you like to have a variety of scented candles and wax melts on hand. By reusing old candles, you'll keep more money in your wallet and save time shopping for new ones.
Upcycling glass candle jars also helps the environment by keeping them out of landfills. Over one billion single-use candles are produced each year and most likely end up in landfills, where they can take over 4,000 years to decompose, per Arbor Made. Only 8% of candle containers get recycled, as Mix My Scent reported.
In addition, candle jars and wax require a ton of water, energy, and petroleum byproducts to produce and contribute to the heat-trapping gases polluting the planet via transportation.
🗣️ Which eco-friendly initiative would make you most likely to buy products from a clean beauty brand?
🔘 Using less plastic packaging 🗑️
🔘 Using more organic ingredients 🌿
🔘 Recycling empty containers 🫙
🔘 I don't buy clean beauty products 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
When you buy candles, consider buying those made with more eco-friendly waxes, such as soy or beeswax. These typically last longer than those made with paraffin, one of the most popular candle ingredients derived from petroleum byproducts, per Open Access Government.
Reusing or recycling items when you can helps to usher in a cleaner, healthier future by reducing demand for raw materials needed to make items. In turn, this helps cut down on planet-warming gases in the atmosphere that are driving the extreme weather events we're seeing more frequently.
While recycling isn't perfect, as a Greenpeace USA report noted, it's still worthwhile to try to prevent items from damaging the environment. Our guide can help you understand the recycling options in your city, or you can try donating, selling, or swapping unwanted items for store credit to declutter your space.
What everyone's saying
Commenters praised the planet-friendly candle hack and were keen to try it out.
"I do this and save the wax rounds, I got new wicks from Amazon, I remelt the wax rounds to make new candles," one user said.
"Omg, what a great tip," another commented.
"I have a few I've kept to do this, need to get around to it," someone else shared.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
