By Tanvi Chigurupati
As more consumers become aware of their environmental impact, sustainable products continue to become popular. With so many clothing and home products labeled as being made with “eco-friendly” and “natural” materials, it can be difficult to understand which products are truly sustainable and have minimal environmental impact.
What Is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is the practice of companies and brands using unclear or misleading environmental claims. Instead of showing a meaningful and quantitative mission to help the environment, companies may focus on positioning their products as green to market to a specific audience.
For example, a candle company may advertise recyclable packaging while still using petroleum-based wax. Recyclable packaging is a step in the right direction, but it is only one piece of a product’s overall environmental impact. A truly sustainable product considers its entire life cycle, including its materials, how long it can be used, and its disposal.
When evaluating a candle, customers can also consider the wax, wick, fragrance ingredients, packaging, container, and what happens after the candle has finished burning. Brands that provide specific information about these areas make it easier for customers to understand what they are purchasing.
Why Is Greenwashing Harmful?
Greenwashing not only confuses customers but also slows down progress for brands that are truly sustainable. When companies make unclear or exaggerated claims, it is harder for shoppers to identify which products are actually making a difference. This can also create distrust between consumers and brands that are taking meaningful actions toward helping the environment.
Greenwashing can also encourage customers to focus on one positive feature while overlooking the rest of a product’s lifecycle. A recyclable box, for example, does not necessarily explain what the candle is made from, how long its container can be used, or what happens to it after the wax is gone.
Common Signs of Greenwashing
Words like “eco-friendly” and “green” may sound positive, but they do not always tell buyers much. A sustainable product should detail what makes it better for the environment. For a candle, a transparent brand should be clear about the type of wax used, the ingredients in its fragrances, the materials used in the wick, and its packaging choices.
Customers can also look for specific information instead of relying only on broad words such as “clean” or “natural.” A candle company should make it easy to understand what the candle is made from and explain the choices behind its materials.
Another common form of greenwashing is highlighting one aspect of a product that is good for the environment while ignoring the other detrimental features of an item. For example, a candle may use natural ingredients and fragrances but come in a single-use container and packaging that are discarded and sent to a landfill.
No product or business is perfectly sustainable, but transparency allows customers to make more informed choices based on the full picture.
How to Choose a More Sustainable Candle
When shopping for candles, consider asking the following questions.
Is the Candle Wax Sourced Sustainably?
Traditional paraffin wax is petroleum-based, whereas brands such as Arbor Made make candles that are soy wax-based and come from a renewable agricultural source.
Arbor Made candles are made with 100% soy wax sourced from Iowa. Arbor Made also clearly states that its candles do not contain paraffin wax, allowing customers to understand exactly which type of wax they are purchasing.
The type of wax is only one part of a candle’s overall environmental impact, so it is also important to consider the wick, fragrance, packaging, container, and lifespan of the product.
Are the Ingredients and Materials Transparent?
“Clean” brands that conceal information about their wax, wick, and fragrance ingredients may not be trustworthy. Arbor Made is open about its ingredients and materials.
Arbor Made candles are made with:
- 100% soy wax
- Cotton wicks
- Essential oils and non-toxic fragrance oils
The candles are also paraffin-free, phthalate-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. Sharing these details helps customers understand what they are purchasing instead of asking them to rely on general claims about a candle being “clean” or “natural.”
When comparing candle companies, look for brands that clearly identify their materials and make ingredient information easy to find.
Can the Candle Container Be Reused?
Many traditional candles require customers to purchase a new container each time they want a new candle. Even when the container is recyclable, it still takes materials and energy to produce, package, and transport a replacement.
Arbor Made candle jars are designed to be reused with ready-to-burn wax refills. Each jar features a patented silicone bottom that helps customers remove the finished candle and replace it with a new scent.
Customers do not need to melt or pour wax themselves. Once the previous candle is finished, they can press it out and place a new refill into the same jar.
This refillable design helps extend the life of the candle container and reduces the need to purchase and discard a new jar with every scent.
What Kind of Wick Is Used?
Wicks can be made from several different materials, so this is another detail worth reviewing when comparing candles.
Arbor Made uses cotton wicks and clearly shares that information with customers. Transparent brands should make it easy to learn what their wicks are made from rather than requiring customers to search extensively for basic product details.
What Packaging Materials Are Used?
Packaging is another important part of a product’s environmental impact. Look beyond the appearance of the packaging and consider:
- Whether plastic is used
- Whether the materials are recyclable or compostable
- Whether the packaging is larger than necessary
- Whether the company clearly explains how to dispose of each material
Arbor Made uses plastic-free packaging, FSC-certified paper materials, and compostable tape. They also offers carbon-neutral shipping.
These choices do not make any company environmentally perfect, but sharing specific details helps customers understand the actions being taken.
What Happens When the Candle Runs Out?
A product’s sustainability does not only show through its use, but also through its disposal or reuse. Arbor Made candle holders are made to be reused rather than disposed of.
Once an Arbor Made candle has finished burning, customers can remove the used refill through the silicone bottom of the jar. They can then place a new candle refill into the same holder and continue using it with another scent.
A reusable system does not eliminate every environmental impact associated with buying and shipping a product, but it can reduce the need to manufacture and discard a new candle jar after every candle.
Making More Informed Choices
Sustainability is not always about finding one perfect product. It is about looking beyond broad labels and understanding the choices behind a product’s ingredients, packaging, design, use, and end of life.
By asking questions and looking more closely at the lifecycle of the products we purchase, we can make choices that better reflect our priorities.
At Arbor Made, we aim to make those choices easier to understand by sharing what goes into our candles and designing our jars to be reused with convenient wax refills.
Sources
Springer: Greenwashing and Sustainable Development
Arbor Journal: How Do Candles Affect the Environment?