Beeswax candles date back to the ancient Egyptian & Greek civilisations. Having many advantages over tallow based candles & together with its relative scarcity, beeswax candles were reserved for the rich & royalty.
Today, compared with paraffin, soy and other wax blends, beeswax remains a luxury wax.
The apex of luxury wax is certified organic beeswax. Certified organic means that an internationally recognised & Government appointed organic certification body has certified the beekeepers, the processing & management of the apiary. The organic standards placed on the apiary are significant & they exist to prevent contamination of the bees, the hive & therefore, the beeswax.
The certification body managing our beeswax is ECOCERT – one of the world’s leading certification bodies. The following is an example of some of their requirements surrounding the management of the apiaries:
Hive Location
“Apiaries shall be placed in areas which ensure nectar and pollen sources consisting essentially of organically produced crops or, as appropriate, of spontaneous vegetation or non-organically managed forests or crops that are only treated with low environmental impact methods. Apiaries shall be kept at sufficient distance from sources that may lead to the contamination of beekeeping products or to the poor health of the bees (urban centers, motorways, industrial areas, waste dumps, waste incinerators,…).” 1
Hive materials
“The hives shall be made basically of natural materials presenting no risk of contamination to the environment or the apiculture products” 2
Husbandry
“The destruction of bees in the combs as a method associated with the harvesting of beekeeping products is prohibited.
The bees wax for new foundations shall come from organic production units
Only natural products such as propolis, wax and plant oils can be used in the hives.
Mutilation such as clipping the wings of queen bees is prohibited” 3
We are certified with the Soil Association for the processing of organic ingredients for our range of candles. In order to receive certification we need to manage the chain of custody for all our ingredients with their approval. We keep detailed and up to date records of our methods, processing & purchasing and we are inspected annually by them.
The level of rigour & independence that comes with organic certification enables a trust & confidence that cannot be achieved without it.
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