Anyone going to stop selling Palm Wax candles?

[Desertrose]

I read somewhere that there are already large areas of deforested land in Indonesia - as a result of logging, that are just sitting there which "could" be used for planting sustainable palm plantations.....rather than clearing yet even MORE land.

Maybe it's just a matter of better management, in LOTS of ways, not just regarding palm. We're always going to have an impact on earth, it's just the way it is, but there HAS to be ways in which to minimize our impact.

I personally wish we could cut down on all the plastic packaging which is SO overused.

I bought some wooden stakes for the garden....each bundle wrapped in plastic. Why? Why not just tie them up with string or SOMETHING other than plastic?

[Lumina]

I will keep making palm wax candles...first of all they hold up so well in the heat... I was tired of all my soy pillars not holding up so well in the heat. Plus I love the way palm wax holds scents..

I used to make mostly paraffin candles, but they just wouldn't sell because so many people were told that they soot too much and are toxic to breath...give me a break... I still have people that come up to me and want only soy because it's "natural" and won't hurt you... I gave up trying to educate my clients... If they want soy, I'll make soy. Palm wax was another way for me to sell "natural wax" candles....sigh.... I love the way they look. Yep I'll keep buy palm wax and just start looking for another place to purchase it. I like CS because I live in NC and got next day service....sigh...

Cindy

[coconut]

I'm sticking with my paraffin. All wax products have environmental consequences, but consider this- soy and palm create an environmental consequence, whereas the paraffin consequences would exist whether you use the byproduct wax or not. I choose paraffin because I believe it has less impact than vegetable wax. JMO.

[Wessex]

The way I look at it is that all candle waxes are a byproduct. Paraffin of the petroleum industry, soy of the soybean industry, palm of the palm oil industry, etc. None of these industries will alter what they do or how they do it if the waxes are not being used for candles. They will just use the waxes for other uses. Simple.

Cheers,

Steve

[Stella1952]

soy and palm create an environmental consequence, whereas the paraffin consequences would exist whether you use the byproduct wax or not. I choose paraffin because I believe it has less impact than vegetable wax.

I don't think ANY wax is particularly environmentally "friendly," but if we're going to use "total environmental damage by industry" as a standard by which we choose to boycott or use any kind of oil product, Big Petroleum has led the pack for a long, long, long time...

This isn't about WAX - it's about OIL. In for a penny, in for a pound. The environmental damage from the petroleum industry is HUGE! Are we including environmental damage to the seas, rivers, water aquifers, wildlife, people, etc. by the petroleum industry? Say, for example, like BP did to the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Louisiana just recently?

I totally agree that the environmental damages from veggie oil cultivation, manufacturing and use are considerable, but compared to the petroleum industry? Pfft!

I think Big Palm oil is in the news and under the gun because its veggie oil rival, Big Soy, wants more of the market.

Oil source World consumption (million metric tons)

Palm

41.31

Soybean

41.28

Note that these figures include industrial and animal feed use.

(source)

Edited December 18, 2010 by Stella1952

[EricofAZ]

"Why thank you for reducing your carbon footprint and buying a soy candle instead of a paraffin, and thank you even more for not buying my palm candle. I applaud you in transporting that on our back with ice given it is 114 degrees this summer in the shade here in Tucson."

...

"What's that? You won't be walking with ice on your back? Your Hummer has air conditioning?"

[coconut]

I don't think ANY wax is particularly environmentally "friendly," but if we're going to use "total environmental damage by industry" as a standard by which we choose to boycott or use any kind of oil product, Big Petroleum has led the pack for a long, long, long time...

This isn't about WAX - it's about OIL. In for a penny, in for a pound. The environmental damage from the petroleum industry is HUGE! Are we including environmental damage to the seas, rivers, water aquifers, wildlife, people, etc. by the petroleum industry? Say, for example, like BP did to the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Louisiana just recently?

I totally agree that the environmental damages from veggie oil cultivation, manufacturing and use are considerable, but compared to the petroleum industry? Pfft!

I think Big Palm oil is in the news and under the gun because its veggie oil rival, Big Soy, wants more of the market.

Stella, I'm a tree hugger from way back and the images of the environmental damage from oil break my heart. It is all a very complicated dance with the devil. Petroleum oil helped save the whale-once oil and electricity were discovered, people didn't need to kill whales to have light. Properly harvested and handled oil doesn't create the environmental damage; improperly handled oil does. This is also true of farming to some extent, but all farming, whether "sustainable" or not, destroys habitat for wildlife.

With that said, paraffin is still a by-product and will exist whether we use it or not. This is not true of soy or palm. The soy or palm nut is used for the oil. Anything left over is the by-product, maybe useful for animal food but it is not the primary product in this case. Soy bean farming is very destructive to the land and a lot of chemicals are used for farming and extracting the wax.

It really is a no-win situation. It takes years to recover from oil spills, and years for land to recover from intensive farming. IMO, the by-product is less harmful when compared to the primary product.

[Gbhunter]

Stella, I'm a tree hugger from way back and the images of the environmental damage from oil break my heart. It is all a very complicated dance with the devil. Petroleum oil helped save the whale-once oil and electricity were discovered, people didn't need to kill whales to have light. Properly harvested and handled oil doesn't create the environmental damage; improperly handled oil does. This is also true of farming to some extent, but all farming, whether "sustainable" or not, destroys habitat for wildlife.

With that said, paraffin is still a by-product and will exist whether we use it or not. This is not true of soy or palm. The soy or palm nut is used for the oil. Anything left over is the by-product, maybe useful for animal food but it is not the primary product in this case. Soy bean farming is very destructive to the land and a lot of chemicals are used for farming and extracting the wax.

It really is a no-win situation. It takes years to recover from oil spills, and years for land to recover from intensive farming. IMO, the by-product is less harmful when compared to the primary product.

Honestly I dont think that parrafin,soy, or palm wax represents even 1% of the total market for the product(please if you have info such as stats correct me I dont like spreading bad info). As the world population grows these problems are just going to get worse. I wonder if in times past when there were massive eartquakes if anyof them may have opened a fisure straight into an oil pocket? Just a thoughts. Oil is used in so many things like plastics lubricants and many thinks you would not even think have anything to do with oil. I will keep getting my wax and burning/selling my candles.

Edited December 26, 2010 by Gbhunter

[leslee42]

I use Peak for my Palm wax and I have had no issues with it. I live in CA so shipping is cheaper for me although the wax is about $2.00 more than what CS sold it for. I use the Pillar wax and enjoy making them! At this point I am not planing to stop now - just got through with all of my testing!

[HorseScentS]

I've spent way too much time and money testing Palm to give it up. As far as CS dropping it for environmental reasons...I still think it was a smokescreen, given the problems with their last supply (just an uninformed opinion). All waxes have trade offs with environmental issues, you will never get a perfect environmental solution. I think some of the palm oil problems are being blown out of proportion, just like "bad" paraffin and "processed" soy. You can't please everyone.

So, no, I am not going to go away from palm wax anytime soon.

Cheers,

Steve

Thank you for confirming my suspicions that CS' decision was a smokescreen.

[SliverOfWax]

I love watching anti-oil people type ridiculous messages on forums using their computers and keyboards made from.........................OIL byproducts!

God gave us resources and brains to use those resources.

[SmellinRite]

The decision by CS WAS NOT a smokescreen. I spoke in depth with one of the guys in the warehouse one day about the issue with the palm wax; it wasn't a flippant choice. Just because it doesn't follow along with your game plan, doesn't mean you should call CS out and say that they are blowing smoke. They are the nicest, most helpful, SINCERE people. As per the usual, unless it directly impacts us personally ... we could give a shit less how things impact others; especially if the repercussions can't be felt on our soil.

http://www.economist.com/node/16423833

[tlc]

we could give a shit less

Hummm...

[Stella1952]

The decision by CS WAS NOT a smokescreen.

I assume they are sincere but simply do not understand the larger games played in the oil industry.

we could give a shit less how things impact others; especially if the repercussions can't be felt on our soil.

I personally care a LOT about the schools, employment and other opportunities we take for granted that palm oil has provided for locals. I would not want to see demand for their product reduced which would cost deserving people a source of income. There are sources of palm oil that are fair-traded and certified sustainable and renewable. One can always choose to use those sources rather than blindly boycott ALL palm oil & its products.

[Gbhunter]

Nope not going to stop. Might stock up on more though. They destroy villages for green credits and palm wax is going to be my hang up. Give me a break..:rolleyes2

[Dana]

Oh goodness, a year and 2 weeks went by and this got dug up again.....lol

[Stella1952]

The boycott still continues, palm wax is more difficult to source, new members have joined, so it's an ongoing issue for many chandlers.