Trash Turned Treasure Business: Filt-Made Waste Oil Candles

You know that expression one man's (or woman's in this century) trash is another man's treasure? Well, there are companies that thrive on this old tried and true saying.

Filt Candles

Filt-Made is an eco-friendly company that uses used cooking oil to make something beautiful, adding a surprisingly pleasant aesthetic to any household. This Tokyo-based company uses the discarded cooking oil from the restaurant in the retail space below them to create candles. Of course, firstly they carefully filter the cooking oil to ensure that odors and gross food remnants are removed, and then they add pigment for an aesthetic appeal, and a vanilla scent to please one of the other senses. All glass jars used for candle holders are collected recyclables from their neighborhood, and in turn, the company requests that consumers of their product recycle their jars once the wick has burned down.

This business is fantastic for a number of reasons - its startup costs are low leaving more room for profit since they are using what is essentially waste to create something creative and appealing; its finding its niche and putting a unique twist on a popular market; and of course, it's doing a great thing for the environment!