Can candle jars be recycled? (recycling, buying, energy, garbage)

[HappyFarm34]

I’m obsessed with candles. I hate having to throw away the jars after the candle has melted down. The ones without the jar I like also but I feel more comfortable burning a candle that is inside a jar

[elnina]

I think, why not? Especially glass ones.

[WyoNewk]

Yes, we used to make our own candles and always reused the glass jars.

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by HappyFarm34

I’m obsessed with candles. I hate having to throw away the jars after the candle has melted down. The ones without the jar I like also but I feel more comfortable burning a candle that is inside a jar

Recycled as in sent through the recycling plant and made into new glass or recycled to be reused by you?

Whether they can go to the plant is a function of whether they are regular silica glass or borosilicate glass. The latter is used sometimes as it stands up to heat better, but that means it can't be recycled as part of your normal recycling program.

As for reusing the jars, lots of people just put new candles in them or even refill them with wax and use them over again. A candle new again. | Monika Hibbs

There is something to be said for refilling them, as the fragrances in many candles (and other household products) are frequently full of VOCs. If you make your own you are less likely to be exposed to things like benzene.

[deerislesmile]

Buy one nice heavy jarred one, and when the candle runs out.. clean the wax out and use it for some non-jarred candles? No need of buying a new jar every time...

[greatblueheron]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

Buy one nice heavy jarred one, and when the candle runs out.. clean the wax out and use it for some non-jarred candles? No need of buying a new jar every time...

Wax is not particularly easy to clean from a jar...

[thecoalman]

It's questionable whether glass should be recycled to begin with, the raw resources are extremely abundant and cheap to extract. The issue is the energy used to recycle it Vs. the energy used to make new glass. It's expensive/energy intensive to separate, clean and deal with contaminants like candle wax residue. Throw them in the garbage.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

Buy one nice heavy jarred one, and when the candle runs out.. clean the wax out and use it for some non-jarred candles? No need of buying a new jar every time...

If the idea is to conserve think about that for a minute. You need to use a lot of energy and resources to clean that jar.

[yellowsnow]

This is easy and you don't have to spend a lot of time scraping out the leftover wax. Just clean out the soot and leave the wax. Tie your wick around an old metal washer and wind it around a popsicle stick across the top of the jar. Pour in your melted wax with or without fragrance and let it sit till it's solid. Done! I usually do several at once.

[NorthofHere]

I have reused them for drinking glasses. You just need to get all the wax out and the metal disc on the bottom. Use boiling water, lots of dawn liquid and run through the dishwasher.