At Heart of Europe Candles we do maximum to reduce waste and reuse materials. It keeps both our customers and us happy!
Did you know that Heart of Europe Candles offers candle refills? We do! After all, I was remelting and reusing wax from old candles for years before I decided to open my candle shop. It just broke my heart to throw away big chunks of leftover wax and old jars.
You can return old jars (and leftover wax from free-standing candles) and you will get a 10% discount on your next purchase! Also, refills are always cheaper than brand new candles.
What candles can I have refilled?
Currently, I am offering refills of basically all Heart of Europe Candle jars. I will refill our regular and XL scented candles, any type of unscented candles, or succulents, and you can also order tealight refills for our regular tealights, rose tealights, and succulent tealights (select the option from the drop-down menu).
Can I bring old jars from other stores?
Unfortunately, no. I am not able to refill your old candle bought from other companies. The reason is this:
Any candle must be carefully calibrated to burn optimally. The product development requires a lot of testing – the wick must be the right size for the combination of a particular jar and particular wax (and decorations on the top of the candle, if any). The candle must be conceived so that it does not burn too hot (danger of glass cracking and your furniture getting ruined). Also, it shouldn’t “tunnel”, leaving too much wax in the jar. (By the way, don’t worry if there is a lot of wax left in the jar during your first few burns. The more the flame descends towards the bottom of the jar, the hotter the candle gets, and the more wax gets gradually melted.)
All this means that I only know how to create an optimally burning candle with my own materials that have been countlessly tested and retested. With a jar from a different company, I would have to use your candle for testing several times before I came up with the best burning product.
But all is not lost! You can clean and reuse old jars from other companies yourself! Have a look at my other blog posts on how to do it (you will find information on how to clean your candle holders there, too): How to clean a candle jar, Alternative methods to clean old candle jars, and Turn old candle jars into beautiful candle holders.
You can return leftover wax from free-standing candles
Heart of Europe Candles goes one step beyond and collects leftover wax from free-standing candles, too! It is a shame to lose leftover wax, even more so when some candles of unusual shapes leave a lot of wax unburnt. I am happy to collect any leftovers from our candles. I then remelt it, filter it through a fine paper filter and remake it into small freebie candles that go out with orders. I also use it for candle testing. Filtered and reused wax burns just as well as new wax and is basically unrecognisable from a new candle. Enjoy the candle freebies!
How to order a refill
Most of our customers who return wax and jars pick up their candles in person. But there has been a couple of motivated customers who have sent wax back by mail! (If you would like to do that, please send me a message and we will arrange the details.) When you return jars and leftovers, I will send you a zero-waste discount code by email, which you can use for your next order.
When you decide to return our jars, you don’t need to clean them. I will do that for you. (The bonus for me is that I will see how the candle burnt, how much wax was left and if there was too much sooting. It is great feedback for me!)
You can order a candle refill easily through the webshop. After I’ve received your jar(s), I will clean and refill your candle. Then we will schedule a handover in person, or your newly refilled candle will be shipped by mail (if you paid for shipping). It’s as simple as that!
With most jar refills, the candle can be refilled no more than twice. (The reason for this is that glass can lose its integrity after repeated exposure to heat, so the more it is reused, the higher the chance it may crack.) With our regular scented candles, which have very thick glass walls, I will be happy to do the refill more times.
I’d like to return jars but I am not interested in a refill
You can do that too and enjoy your zero-waste discount. It’s not a problem! I will be happy to reuse the jar you have returned for testing and sending out scented candle samples.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and that I have motivated you to collect and return our jars and waxes. Send me a message if you have any questions about the process. If you can’t or are not motivated to return our candle jars, I hope you will at least consider cleaning your old candle jars and reusing them in your home. It is not that difficult!
As always, please let me know what topics you’d be interested in! You can send me an email at info@heartofeuropecandles.com, or send me a message via our Facebook page or Instagram. And share with your friends and family!
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Enjoy your candles, and until next time!
Emma