Sustainable, plant based and beautiful: Rapeseed wax
Rapeseed is a plant native to the UK and Europe. These bright yellow flowers adorn British fields in spring and early summer. Wildlife, particularly honey bees, love these flowers as they produce high yielding pollen. It is actually part of the mustard family and often used as a break crop between rotations to improve soil quality.
At Flourish & Leaf our rapeseed wax is manufactured in the UK as a by-product from the rapeseed plant. It is vegan, non-GMO and has a low carbon footprint.
This renewable eco-wax is made from rapeseed oil which is extracted from the seed. The oil is then hydrogenated (saturated) by high temperature heating. There are no additives, meaning it's 100% plant based and bio-degradable.
In candles and wax melts rapeseed wax has exceptional performance for hot and cold throw as well as a clean burn, making it the only choice for us given it's green credentials.
Most high volume manufactured candles are made with paraffin (petroleum) wax. Paraffin wax is a by-product of petroleum production made from crude oil and is therefore a fossil fuel. Soy wax is an alternative to paraffin wax which is becoming more popular for candle makers. We've considered that although soy farming can be managed sustainably the majority of soy is farmed in Brazil meaning a huge addition to the air miles (carbon footprint) of a key raw ingredient, so rapeseed wax is the clear winner for us!