The 海角视频鈥檚 only聽candle聽recycling business, The Recycled聽Candle聽Company, has opened its new shop in Gandy Street in the heart of Exeter鈥檚 indie shopping district.聽
City shoppers looking for a combination of luxury goods with a strong green ethos have been flocking to the store to browse the聽candles, which are created by reusing scrap wax.聽
Founder Richard Hills-Ingyon said: 鈥淭he concept is simple; wax from used聽candles聽is melted down, filtered, dyed and scented to create beautiful new聽candles.
鈥淎s far as we know, we鈥檙e the only company providing this opportunity for recycling聽candle聽wax in the 海角视频, if not the world.鈥
Richard, 28, grew up in Sidbury and his interest in聽candle聽making started at an early age. 鈥淚 was just seven when my parents gave me a kit to keep me busy on rainy days.鈥
At first the聽candle聽making was a hobby, but over time it became Richard鈥檚 passion and he became intrigued by the idea of reusing old wax by melting it down and purifying it.
Richard met architect Sargon Latchin in London and together they formulated the idea for The Recycled聽Candle聽Company, opening their first shop in Ottery St Mary in 2017.
Sargon, 30, said: 鈥淲e spent some time devising techniques that would enable us to reuse wax on a large scale whilst ensuring the end product was of the highest quality.鈥
They then found a 海角视频-based French perfumer willing to design their bespoke fragrances - Sargon said they are fortunate to be one of a very few small businesses the company will work with.
Once they鈥檇 perfected the techniques, they started attending trade shows across the country, bringing them to the notice of organisations such as the Eden Project, National Trust and Adam Hensons Cotswolds Farm Park, all keen to sell the products in their own shops.
Big name customers encompass Selfridges, Fenwick, KT Tunstall and blogger Buella. As interest grew, so did the need for expansion.
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鈥淎lthough we loved being in Ottery, it became increasingly obvious that we needed more space to allow us to take the business to the next level,鈥 explained Richard.
鈥淕andy Street fits our profile perfectly with lots of like-minded businesses close by, so when the shop became available the decision was easy to make.鈥
Customers bringing old聽candles聽into the shop are offered a discount on purchases.
聽Richard and Sargon are also keen to encourage hotels and restaurants in Exeter to recycle their聽candles, as at the moment most of these come mainly from London hotels.
Sargon said: 鈥淲e are happy to collect used聽candles聽from any local businesses. The good thing is, this will help them to achieve their green objectives and keep old wax out of landfill.鈥
