We’d like to introduce you to Greentree Home Candles. Nestled in the beautiful Catskill mountains of New York, this woman-owned candle company invites you to join in the magic of 100% beeswax candles! Greentree Home Candle is owned by artist, beekeeper and nature enthusiast Jenifer Green. Founded in 2001 and run by a tight knit group of fellow Catskill locals, the company is run less like your average candle company and more like a little beehive! Every member has a specific job that they are confident in, they are able to dance through the candle making process with ease! 

I found three repeating tenants of this small business:  Sustainability, Quality, and Community (with plenty of overlap between the three). Very important qualities for a healthy hive!

Greentree operates in small batches or made to order candles (in case any prospective bride is in search of something beautiful to light up their tablescapes). This helps prevent waste of precious resources from the beeswax to energy usage! They also utilize their regular cleanings to assess how things could be done more efficiently. This practice has led them to sustainable practices such as only having cold water on site.

A very important piece of sustainability for Greentree is of course the beeswax they use. They maintain not only 100% beeswax candles, but they only use capping wax. Capping wax is the thin covering on the top of the honeycomb. This wax is the newest, and therefore most pure. Also, by using just this wax, the bees are able to keep and reuse the base honeycomb structure. Rather than having to spend their precious energy on rebuilding a whole new comb. 

Speaking of this magic wax, through my investigation I’ve learned something new. Beeswax burning releases negative ions while most particulates in your house like dust and pollen are positively charged. This means when the candle interacts with them, it will capture and neutralize these particles and help purify the air in your home! Some other beeswax candles can be cut with things like petroleum, but not at Greentree. The only thing that isn’t beeswax is their 100% cotton wick!

Even their packaging is sustainable! Throughout the candle making process, they rely on glass, metal, and wood tools almost entirely. This same mindset is brought into their packaging procedures. For example, the Monkey with a Fez (pictured) is packaged in a recyclable cardboard box with a recycled wadding material to protect it. They also use biodegradable packing peanuts. Greentree shares that they do occasionally use bubble wrap, but stay away from it whenever possible.

The community outlook is something that makes Greentree particularly special. From maintaining connections with local beekeepers (all their beeswax is from North America) and local businesses, they even keep their team local! It can be difficult finding jobs in rural areas, which is why Greentree, for the mix of saving the environment by lowering emissions and for the love of the community, only hires Catskill mountain locals! They also partner with local businesses and nonprofits to further enrich their community.