Recycling old Paschal candles

[EvelynEVF]

My parish has a large collection of gorgeous Paschal candles from about the last 20 years. The manufacturer no longer takes them back for recycling. Does anyone know where they could be sent to be recycled? I’d hate to see them wasted.

 

[lizaanne]

They are also blessed objects, so they can’t just be thrown away. I would suggest seeing if anyone in the parish wants them - they may want the year of a baptism, or wedding, or other family event.

~Liza

 

[twopekinguys]

My parish has a large collection of gorgeous Paschal candles from about the last 20 years. The manufacturer no longer takes them back for recycling. Does anyone know where they could be sent to be recycled? I’d hate to see them wasted.

If you have some “crafty” parishoners, the candles could be melted down, and made into new candles for the Church. Just need the molds, and wicks.

Perfect recycling, at the parish level.

 

[Phemie]

On some the decorations can be removed and the candle recycled as a pillar candle for religious education classes, sacramental preparation, parish council meetings, etc.

 

[o0omaryo0o]

If you have some “crafty” parishoners, the candles could be melted down, and made into new candles for the Church. Just need the molds, and wicks.

Perfect recycling, at the parish level.

Exactly!!
I was at a monastery once where the sisters would receive left overs from candles and melted them and made new candles of them.

 

[Joannm]

We send our candles to Marklin. I don’t know if they take ones that are not their own but we cut them up before we send them to fit in a box, so how would they know if the candles were theirs or not. I guess it depends on the percentage of bees wax in them.

 

[EvelynEVF]

Thanks! I shot them an email asking if they would take them from the particular company ours came from, if we don’t care about getting any credit for them.

 

[Zooey]

If you have some “crafty” parishoners, the candles could be melted down, and made into new candles for the Church. Just need the molds, and wicks.

Perfect recycling, at the parish level.

That’s what I was thinking as I read this.
Really, turning old candles into new ones should be pretty starightforward.
I’ve never tried that, but I know that folks do.

I think its wonderful that you want to reuse them.

 

[jazzbass981]

My pastor authorized me to take one home to light when I pray my rosary, Liturgy of the Horlurs and other devotionals.

 

[mcmitton]

I may be mistaken, but I believe a talented artist within our parish “reworks” the embellishments [annually] on the candle and, thus, it is used for several years before replacement, always blessed again before use.

 

[paperwight66]

By the time our parish’s candle has been burnt for the Masses up to the Ascension, and then during the year at funerals. there’s very little left to re-decorate and re-use. We do keep one from a previous year that hasn’t been burnt down too much as a spare in case someone drops the proper one, but it’s a very poor second-best. I suppose, thinking about it, we have two Masses each weekday so no wonder it gets burnt down so much over Easter.