Bambi Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Good morning, afternoon or evening depending on what side of the world you are on. I'm curious as to your take on ethics in business practices of the manufacturers and or suppliers who provide your products for business. I.E. the whole palm oil issue with deforestation. Because of this reason a lot of candle makers decided to shy away from palm products. Now the next big thing is coconut wax. Are there any growing concerns about how this oil for the wax is sourced? Are there any concerns as to whether the farmers are being paid properly and if it's causing any damage to their forests and habitation? Am I being too deep here? I just wonder in this current social and ethical climate, if a customer was to ask these questions, how as a business owner would you answer? It's like going in a rabbit hole to find the source who sources and get data to back up what they are saying. Appreciate a kind discussion on this matter. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 This type of hot button issue tends to be a grenade launched into the forum. If comments become heated I will lock the thread. We've had a few recent discussions about this you can probably find using the "Search" box to the top right. There is no such thing as zero impact. You can find bullet point arguments on every side, from every angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambi Posted April 24, 2018 Author Share Posted April 24, 2018 Thanks TallTayl, I'm definitely not trying to launch a grenade so I understand. I tried searching prior to posting but only found 1 topic closely related which was a questions about GMO wax. Maybe I'm searching the wrong subject in the search box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebleo Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 (edited) I agree with @TallTayl that there is no zero impact wax. Palm gets a lot of attention for deforestation but soy is in the same boat. It just doesn't get the coverage. If you want to do some reading...go to wwf.panda.org and under farming they have sections on soy and palm oil. There is a lot of info there. I have no information or links regarding coconut because it is not a wax I have considered working with. I think the best way to go about it is to figure out what is important to you and how you want to build your business model. Research and learn everything you can about your wax. When customers ask questions you are prepared for anything. No matter what wax you decide on you will alienate some buyers. The good news is there are enough paraffin lovers, soy lovers, and palm lovers to go around. Not to mention those that do not care what wax it is as long as it looks nice, smells nice, or has a nice price. Edit to add... I do think you are thinking too deep about whether the farmers are getting paid enough. I have never heard of that coming up in regards to candles. (Mainly chocolate, coffee, and jewelry ) Although some market their soy candles with soy farmed in the USA. But, that is more of a made in the USA marketing strategy than a fair market one. Edited April 24, 2018 by Sebleo Add 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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