Sustainability through REWAX® – A Comparison of Candle Waxes

CANDLES WITH A CONCIENCE

We, the founders of Aureliana Candles, are three passionate Latinas – Maria, Laura, and Diana – living in Europe, determined to share the beauty and richness of Colombia with the world. Too often, Colombia is viewed only through the lens of prejudice and its history with illegal substances, yet it has so much more to offer: warm-hearted people, breathtaking landscapes, and deep-rooted spirituality. Through our exclusive scented candles, we want to tell the stories of small villages and share the true Colombian spirit.

On our journey, we set out to find the perfect material for our candles – with sustainability as our highest priority. It was clear to us from the beginning that we would not use any wax that harms nature, the rainforest, or local wildlife. That’s why we began thoroughly researching various wax types and their ecological impact.
We’ll cut to the chase: we chose REWAX, an organic recycled wax from the German company LipiTec. Below, we outline the thinking and reasoning that led to this decision:  

The most well-known candle wax is paraffin wax. Since it is derived from petroleum, it was immediately excluded from our options. It not only causes significant environmental pollution, but also has a terrible CO₂ footprint due to international transportation. Moreover, paraffin is not biodegradable – a clear violation of our sustainability philosophy.

Next, we looked at soy wax, often marketed as an eco-friendly alternative. However, we quickly realized that using soy – regardless of whether it’s certified as sustainable – puts food security at risk. That might not be immediately visible in Europe, but in poorer countries, where many people can’t even access basic nutrition regularly, our decisions here have profound consequences. Soy is a food source for both humans and animals. We concluded that its use in candles contributes to scarcity and leads to further deforestation. Additionally, the international shipping of soy oil worsens its CO₂ footprint, which was another dealbreaker for us.

We also considered palm oil. Even though it is sometimes labeled as sustainable, we know that palm plantations are often associated with massive deforestation and habitat loss – similar to soy. Its extraction from food supply chains and long-distance transport were in direct conflict with our core values.

Rapeseed oil (canola) was next on our list. Although rapeseed is widely cultivated in Europe, it turns out that the EU cannot produce enough to meet its food demand. Over 20% of consumed rapeseed oil already comes from Australia and other far-off countries, making it clear that we’d still be reliant on imports – again conflicting with our vision of regional responsibility.

The use of beeswax presented another dilemma. While it has many natural advantages, harvesting it can strain bee populations, especially when not done sustainably. Furthermore, its intense natural aroma makes scent development more challenging for our candles. We were also aware that it can contain unknown impurities that might be released into the air when burned.

That left us with the most promising wax: REWAX – a wax made from recycled fats and oils sourced from the food and hospitality industry. Produced right here in the heart of Europe, by the German company LipiTec, REWAX reduces waste and conserves resources by utilizing already existing, locally available materials. It has the lowest CO₂ footprint, causes no deforestation, and contains no harmful substances.

After many in-depth discussions and careful considerations, our decision to choose REWAX became clear. It not only reflects our values of sustainability and environmental responsibility but also demonstrates our commitment to transparency with our customers. With REWAX, we’ve found a wax that not only brings our scented candles to life but does so in harmony with our principles.

This thoughtful decision-making process has not only strengthened us as a team but also allowed us to grow as responsible entrepreneurs – proud to carry the true beauty of Colombia into the world.