Since wax melts melts are made out of natural or synthetic ingredients, they’re relatively easy to handle.
However, if you’re planning to make in-store single-color hand-sold copies of your wax melts, you have to think about disposal. Here are some tips on how to properly dispose of wax melts when they are left to cool in our warehouse.
So, how do you dispose of wax melts properly? Wax melts are a popular product that is found in most households in the US.
However, they are difficult to dispose of because of their wicks. In fact, it’s almost impossible to dispose of wax melts in the proper way.
Fortunately, there are companies dedicated to finding solutions to this problem. Wax melts can take up a lot of space in landfills and cause pollution if not disposed of properly.
Are My Wax Melts Safe?
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There is substantial dispute regarding whether wax melts are safe for the environment or not.
Some varieties of scented candles may be dangerous to the environment if they are burned improperly.
There’s a potential that these compounds, when burned and released into the air as toxic fumes or soot can contaminate the soil and water supply.
There are, however, non-toxic and safe varieties of scented candles available on the market today that are made out of 100% paraffin waxes and essential oils extracted from plants.
Wax melts manufactured from soy and beeswax are also relatively safe because they contain natural plant oils such as lavender oil and orange oil instead of synthetic fragrances found in petroleum-based candles.
There is no soot or smoke thrown by burning soy and beeswax candles so they are more environmentally friendly compared to paraffin-based candles.
Wicks may be constructed of cotton or paper which are considered to be biodegradable materials so they will not pose a significant environmental threat if they are thrown away into landfills.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the lead content contained in some brands of scented candle wicks.
Despite becoming less popular than they used to, traditional votive-style jar candles are still manufactured with paraffin waxes and lead-cored wicks which can pose significant health risks to both children and adults who inhale their fumes.
How to Properly Dispose of Wax Melts
Pour the Wax into a Container
One technique of wax disposal is to pour the melted scented candle into a container after it has cooled down completely.
Pour the wax from your scented candle into the container without spilling it. You can also use a spoon or knife to help carve the solidified wax in the container.
Once all the wax has been poured from the jar, you can dispose of the container in a recycling bin or in the trash.
Make sure you have used a container that is at least two-thirds full with melted wax in order to make it easier to pour the melted scented candle into it.
Choose a container that can hold the leftover liquid wax safely and one that is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the remaining liquid without it spilling over while transporting it to the trash can or the recycling bin.
Pouring your heated wax into a reusable container is a practical method of disposing of your empty jar of scented candle but make sure to place it in a safe location where it won’t be knocked over by small children who might mistake it for a toy.
When disposing of heated wax, you should also consider covering the area where you are pouring the melted scented candle with a tarp so the liquid won’t spill on to the floor.
Cotton Balls
Dropping cotton balls into the liquid wax is another effective method of disposing of excess wax from your scented candle.
Soak cotton balls in wax and place them on surfaces like stoves and countertops or on containers with leftover wax to easily dispose of excess wax from scented candles.
Cotton balls can be disposed of after they’re used to absorb the remaining wax from the scented candle if you want to avoid potentially staining the surface that they’re placed on.
The fluffy cotton balls will rapidly soak up the remaining liquid from your empty jar of scented candles and you can throw them away once they’ve served their purpose.
Cooled Solid Wax
Waiting for wax melts to cool and solidify before discarding them is another way to dispose of excess fragranced oils from jars of candles.
After you remove your wax melts from their original containers, allow them to cool and then store them in a plastic or glass container until you’re ready to dispose of them.
After allowing the wax melts to harden, you can place them in a bin for trash disposal or use the recyclable containers that you have purchased to store your newly solid and unused beeswax tarts and melt-and-pour candles.
Watch the wax lift as you slide the container across the counter to ensure there aren’t any stray bits of cooled solids that have stuck to the side of the storage container.
Wax Disposal Products
Silicone Warmer Lids
Some warmers now have a removable lid that can be cleaned easily and placed in the freezer to solidify the leftover molten fragranced oil so it can be discarded in the trash.
The basin where the wax lies in its melted state in your warmer becomes coated with a thin layer of solidified waxy residue which can be easily removed with the silicone lid that’s included with the warming device.
Silicone absorbs heat quickly so you can place the chilled lid over the basin of your warming device after you’ve removed the hardened chunks of leftover scent-waxes from your original container.
Turn off the heater, then squeeze the lid to release any pockets of residual liquid from the solidified block of warm beeswax, remove the lid and place the entire container in a sealable plastic bag before throwing it away.
If you don’t want to reuse the lid for storage purposes, you can also throw it out with the rest of the garbage.
However, you may often save and reuse the silicone lids when you next purchase a new batch of fragranced waxes for your candle-making hobby.
Wax Warmer Liners
Wax warmer liners are available to aid in the process of disposing of leftover scents from your empty jar of melted waxes.
These liners function similarly in that they absorb any remaining traces of the scent that was previously trapped in the pores of the porous wicks that were placed in the decorative vessel of your melting device.
The hardened wax is simply lifted and removed from the liner with a kitchen knife or other utensil when it’s time to discard it.
Some liners are reusable, while others are disposable and are replaced after each use.
These liners are both affordable and convenient for candle-makers who burn scented oils and waxes in quantity, but aren’t able to dispose of the excess scents from their melting devices efficiently.
How to Reuse Wax Melts
A typical wax melt lasts between four and six hours, depending on the brand, its temperature setting and the surface area of the vessel that holds it.
If your wax melts still have some liquid left in the pot, you can reuse them for another four to six hours or up to overnight, if your home’s temperature is warm enough.
For recycling wax melts, simply place the melted scented wax into a new, clean container that can hold up to the volume of melted wax you have left, then place your pot into the refrigerator or freezer.
Even if the aroma has evaporated from the pot, the cooled liquid will still be usable the next time you desire to use the melting device for candles and other crafts.
Because wax does not evaporate, the solid chunks that remain at the bottom of the jar will not spoil or grow moldy over time.
However, these remnants should be removed prior to storing your remaining melted substance for use at a later time.
You have a valuable product that you can use to create lovely scented candles and other items for your home decor, so it’s best to save the remnants of your melted wax for future use.
Also Read: Can Wax Paper Be Recycled?
Final Words
Wax melts are inexpensive and easy to make.
They’re also very fragrant and melt quickly. However, wax melts should never be burned.
Burning wax melts releases toxic chemicals into the air, which is dangerous to breathe.
Furthermore, burning wax melts releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.
To avoid these problems, it’s important to properly dispose of wax melts after they’re done being used.
First, wax melts should never be burned in a wax warmer because wax warmers release toxic chemicals into the air when melted wax is heated.
Second, wax melts should never be thrown into the trash because they release toxic chemicals when exposed to water.
Instead, wax melts should be disposed of in the garbage can or compost.
