Our Committment to the Environment
Socially and environmentally responsible business practices have always been a focus at Big Dipper. We are committed to creating products and a work environment that contribute to the health of our community and the planet. These are the the steps we use to reach those goals:
Use all Natural, Biodegradable Ingredients
Our candles are made from locally sourced 100% beeswax, which undergoes no chemical processing. Our candles are scented with pure essential oils, and our wicks are 100% cotton.
Reduce
Our candles don’t need lots of extra packaging to make them extraordinary. We use minimal packaging made with post-consumer recycled paper products and soy based inks. We are constantly striving to reduce our energy use, and raw materials and finishing products are shipped in bulk whenever possible.
Reuse
Packing materials from inbound shipments including boxes, bubble wrap, and peanuts always get reused.
Recycle
We recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum, and glass. We complete the cycle by using materials made from recycled content for packaging and shipping whenever possible! Our tins are made from a minimum of 75% recycled metal, and our boxes and labels are made using post-consumer recycled paper products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Make Eco-friendly and Economical Choices
We encourage our customers to reuse all of our glass and tin containers, and we sell bulk refills for many of our products. Click here for more information about how to clean your containers and get them ready for reuse!
Compost
Not only is our beeswax biodegradable and compostable, so is some of our packaging! We are always looking for ways to reduce our footprint, and we have begun to use PLA, a plant-based compostable polymer in some of our packaging rather than plastic. We also use cornstarch-based packing peanuts instead of polystyrene.
Buy Products Locally Whenever Possible
We strive to use local suppliers whenever we can. The bulk of our beeswax comes from beekeepers in the Pacific Northwest, and our boxes come from nearby Auburn, Washington.
Work to Improve Air Quality
Beeswax candles, themselves, clean air of toxins by releasing negative ions when burned.
Support Sustainability
We support local, responsible beekeepers by not only buying their product, but also by supporting a variety of education, research, and grassroots organizations that are working to sustain a healthy beekeeping community