Industry Waxes: Uses and Impacts

In the candle/wax melt industry, there is a lot of talk about various waxes and their effects on human health and the environment. There’s a lot of false and misleading information out there, causing heated debates that often leads to shaming people for preferring one type of wax over another. Here, we will briefly look at a few of the most popular waxes and provide information so that the consumer can ultimately decide what best suits them. There is also the issue of the term ‘eco-friendly’ which is often assigned to various products and companies, without a proper definition. Often, a business will advertise itself as being ‘eco-friendly’ as they don’t produce many greenhouse gases, even though they destroy the environment through deforestation and habitat pollution. Conversely, some companies might advertise themselves as ‘eco-friendly’ for not destroying natural habitats, even though they produce a large quantity of harmful emissions.

Paraffin/paraffin Blend Wax:

Paraffin wax is created using materials retrieved from the processing of crude oil. Paraffin blends are waxes that combine this with various quantities of vegetable oils. These waxes tend to have little to no odour themselves and are very popular in many high end and luxury wax products, particularly candles as they can be quite forgiving when mixing with oils and leave a nice, smooth finish. While they are often criticised for producing ‘harmful’ fumes, on average the fumes produced are no more polluting or harmful to human health than those derived from organic, ‘natural’ waxes (most of the fumes come down to use of oils in the candle). Paraffin waxes, however, are not carbon neutral (the carbon released when combusted isn’t taken from the atmosphere by the process of growth/manufacture) and are made from a substance that is processed into fuel and combusted, so support an industry that is very detrimental to the environment.

Soy Wax:

Soy wax is a vegetable wax (a wax produced from food plants) that has stormed the market in recent years for being the ‘eco’ wax. While it is generally carbon neutral (the soy plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, to compensate for the carbon produced when they’re burned), combusting a vegetable wax does release fumes into the atmosphere that, like most combusted materials, can be harmful to human health if one is exposed to large quantities for long periods of time. One thing to remember about soy, is while they are more ‘eco-friendly’ than paraffin waxes (when looking at net carbon produced), large swathes of rainforest and other natural landscapes are demolished to make way for the plantations where soy is grown. So, while you may be doing the atmosphere a favour when burning (as opposed to paraffin waxes), the loss of rainforest and all that land does mean that there are fewer large plants in the world to reduce the level of carbon in the atmosphere, on top of the decimation of biodiversity. There is also the issue that soy is largely produced in areas of the planet thousands of miles away from Europe, so transporting it here via ships and planes also takes its toll on the planet (the same is true for paraffin). Soy is generally better than paraffin in terms of atmosphere pollution, but it does contribute towards destruction of habitat and loss of biosphere, more so than some other natural sources. While it is very popular in the home fragrance industry, the wax itself does carry a noticeable scent, which may interfere with certain fragrances and be unpalatable to some, which is why paraffin remains popular in many of the most popular & expensive brands.

Other Vegetable Waxes:

Like soy, other vegetable waxes are made from processing various food plants to produce oil and wax. These waxes have many diverse properties, and some can have notable scents or be entirely odourless. While these, like soy, are generally carbon neutral in terms of combustion, specific oils have their own issues. Famously, palm oil plantations are responsible for much deforestation in South-East Asia/Oceania and endangering many of the species there. Coconut oil shares similar issues but is produced in smaller quantities, so has less of an impact overall (though this can vary massively depending on whether it is a smaller family business or a giant corporate plantation). Like soy, these must be transported across the world, releasing emissions from cargo vehicles as they go. Rapeseed oil can be produced in many parts of the world and is a versatile crop used in the preparation of many products and makes use of existing farmland (much is grown in Europe in historical farmland, or in areas that are no longer expanding and encroaching on wildlife). Coconut and rapeseed-based waxes typically have very little to no scent, so are ideal when quality fragrance is your primary concern, as well as advertising carbon neutrality – combing the positive elements of both soy and paraffin waxes.

Beeswax:

This is widely considered the most eco-friendly and sustainable wax available on the market, and for good reason. Produced naturally by bees, there is no habitat destruction necessary for its production, nor does its manufacture produce harmful emission like paraffin waxes. The bees also help to pollinate surrounding flora, helping maintain biodiversity and make more plants to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is, however, much harder to produce in large quantities, and large companies that harvest it typically do so at the expense of the bees and their health (and the surrounding environment). Due to the use of animals, it also doesn’t qualify as vegan. A non-sustainability issue with beeswax is that is generally holds scented oils very poorly, whether they are artificial or natural. Excellent for lighting, but not so good for the home fragrance market. It also tends to have a much higher cost than the other waxes on this list, due to much smaller production quantities (when done as sustainably as possible).

Summary:

When it comes to wax melts, candles, and every other product/service, it is important to remember they all come with an ecological cost: olive oil harvests kill many birds as they are vacuumed up alongside the olives, beef cattle ranching levels massive areas of the Amazon Rainforest and even vegan farms often leak fertiliser into water systems that has devastating impacts on habitats. Ultimately, around 30% of global emissions are caused by just 20 corporations, so it is important not to be too hard on yourself for every little thing in your life that may not be the most ‘eco’. Until the change happens at the top level, most of our individual impacts on the environment will be negligible. It’s best to enjoy what you can, while making beneficial changes where they are possible, practical, and economical for you.

Published: 18/02/22