Cwyr Cymru started as a hobby 18 months ago
A SOUTH Wales candle company have started a new scheme to reduce plastic waste and encourage recycling.
Cwyr Cymru trade online, selling candles, lip care and skincare. The shop uses no single-use plastic and all of their materials can be recycled or composted.
The company are now going further to reduce waste, asking customers to reuse their old jars and containers to be refilled with Cwyr Cymru products.
Founder Jen Turnbull, 31, started making candles as a hobby after struggling to find cruelty-free options to suit her sensitive skin. She says that teaching her children to care for the environment motivates her.
Mrs Turnbull said: “We are really keen on introducing sustainability to our children. We grow as much of our own veg as we can and have chickens as well as rescue dogs and cats.
“We love teaching our two all about caring for our planet – they are expected to muck in to help at all times – and reduce waste. That really was where it was born.”
Despite working full-time as a healthcare regulator, Ms Turnbull started selling her products in January last year. With help from her husband, Daniel, and their two children, Ms Turnbull now uses her spare time to run the business.
The refill scheme has been offered to Cwyr Cymru’s regular customers for as long as the business has been running. Customers can send their own candle jars to be filled with their choice of wax.
This prevents unnecessary waste of jars and reduced the cost for the customer. Refill customers are entitled to a discounted price.
In the last three months, the refill scheme has been expanded and advertised to all customers.
Customers are also able to relinquish old jars to the company for £2 credit. The candles made in these jars are sold on the company’s website for refill price.
Mrs Turnbull said: “People were telling me they always had countless candle jars lying round the house and I thought that these jars could be reused instead of recycled, and it would save people money too!
“I hate that environmental options are often seen as more expensive, so I am so proud of how competitive this scheme is to some of the biggest names out there!”
The scheme is now taking off, with refill sales overtaking sales of new candles. You can contact them via their website.
