A business in Welshpool has set up a scheme allowing residents to recycle candles that would otherwise go straight to a landfill.

Gifts of Wales, a shop on Church Street in Welshpool, has set up an initiative encouraging people to bring in their old candles, wax melts and tealights, to a collection point where they will will be reused to make new candles.

People can bring their old candles and similar products into Gifts of Wales, which serves as a collection point for wax items to be melted down and filtered before being reset in new moulds and sent out into the world in the form of a new candle.

Shop owner Kathryn Greatorex added: “We’re delighted to be a recycle point for candles, working with an eco conscious British business.”

“It’s an easy way to keep something else out of landfill and ultimately help the environment.”

OTHER NEWS:

The initiative is being run with The Recycled Candle Company; an innovative business which uses tried and tested processes to enable old wax to be safely reused.

Old candles are donated by individuals, hotels, restaurants, and places of worship from across the UK. From the collection points, they are sorted and graded by for colour, scent, quality and type of wax. They are then melted and filtered, and tested. Bespoke fragrances are added before the wax is hand poured into new moulds. Once the candles are set, they are checked and batch tested before being sent out.

Richard Hills-Ingyon, who founded the business with Sargon Latchin, said: “I’ve been making candles since I was very young, and over the years I learnt how to reuse old wax. From being a hobby to becoming an eco-friendly business happened naturally. It’s something we’re both passionate about.

“All of our candles are individually hand-poured, and each one is unique. They have a bit of a rustic vibe to them, but we have always wanted to make sure our recycled products are still luxurious.”