Candles & Home Fragrance

Material Composition Assumptions

The default bill of materials for a representative scented candle (approximately 300 g total unit weight including container) consists of:

Wax (~180–200 g):

• Paraffin wax: The dominant wax type globally, comprising approximately 60–70% of candle wax by volume. A petroleum refinery by-product, paraffin carries an emission factor of approximately 1.2–1.8 kgCO2e/kg (cradle-to-gate). The CCI default assumes a paraffin-blend formulation as the market baseline.
• Soy wax: Used in a growing share of “natural” or premium candles, typically at 100% soy or in blends. Carries an emission factor of approximately 2.0–3.5 kgCO2e/kg depending on land-use assumptions for soybean agriculture, crushing, and hydrogenation. Bio-based does not automatically mean lower emissions.
• Coconut wax, beeswax, and blends: Less common alternatives; coconut wax typically 2.5–4.0 kgCO2e/kg, beeswax significantly higher due to the energy intensity of honey production (~10–15 kgCO2e/kg).

Container (~80–100 g for glass jar candles):

• Soda-lime glass jar: Approximately 75–100 g for a standard 8–10 oz (227–283 ml) candle jar. Emission factor ~1.5–2.0 kgCO2e/kg for virgin glass, lower with recycled cullet content. Glass is the dominant candle container material for premium and mid-market products.
• Tin container: Used in travel or votive candles (~30–40 g); steel tinplate with approximately 1.5–2.5 kgCO2e/kg.
• No container (pillar candles): Eliminate packaging material emissions but require paraffin or palm wax blends with hardeners.

Fragrance and additives (~18–30 g):

• Synthetic fragrance oil: 6–10% of wax weight in most scented candles. Complex aromatic compounds derived from petrochemical synthesis; emission factors ~4–6 kgCO2e/kg.
• Essential oils: Sometimes used in premium “natural” candles at higher cost; footprint varies by crop (e.g., lavender ~5 kgCO2e/kg, sandalwood significantly higher).
• Dyes and colorants: <1% by mass; minor emission contribution.

Wick (~2–5 g):

• Cotton wick: Typically unbleached braided cotton with a metal sustainer tab (zinc or tin alloy). Cotton: ~2.0–3.5 kgCO2e/kg; metal tab adds minimal mass but meaningful emission intensity.
• Wood wick: Used in some premium formats; emission factor approximately 0.5–1.5 kgCO2e/kg for the wood component.

The CCI score assumes a standard paraffin-blend scented candle in a glass jar, which represents the majority of the mass-market product range.

Manufacturing Geography

Candle manufacturing is distributed across three primary geographies, each serving different market segments:

• China: The dominant export manufacturer, supplying a large share of private-label and mass-market candles globally. Grid intensity ~565 gCO2e/kWh. Raw paraffin wax is often locally sourced from Chinese refineries. Glass jars are manufactured in China (low cullet rates, ~25–30%).
• USA: Significant domestic production, particularly for premium and artisan market segments. Grid intensity ~390 gCO2e/kWh. Soy wax candles are disproportionately USA-produced due to domestic soy supply chain access.
• EU: Production concentrated in Germany, France, Poland, and the Netherlands. Grid intensity ~300 gCO2e/kWh. Higher glass recycled cullet rates (~55–65%) reduce jar-related emissions.

The default score uses a blended manufacturing profile weighted toward Chinese production, consistent with global import volumes to the US and EU markets. Fragrance supply chains are globally integrated — fragrance compounds are typically manufactured by specialised houses (Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF) in Europe, the USA, and increasingly India, then shipped globally.

Regional Variation

Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated Score Adjustment
China (default blend)	~565 gCO2e/kWh	Baseline
USA domestic production	~390 gCO2e/kWh	-8% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.01 kgCO2e)
EU production	~300 gCO2e/kWh	-14% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.02 kgCO2e)
EU with high-cullet glass	~300 gCO2e/kWh	Additional -0.05 kgCO2e on jar component
Nordic (renewable-heavy)	~30 gCO2e/kWh	-18% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.02 kgCO2e)

Note: Scope 2 (manufacturing electricity) accounts for approximately 13% of the total footprint. The dominant drivers are Scope 3 upstream materials — paraffin wax, glass jar, and fragrance oil. The wax type choice (paraffin vs. soy vs. coconut) and jar material (glass vs. tin vs. no container) have a much larger effect on total emissions than manufacturing location.

Provenance Override Guidance

A supplier or manufacturer may override the default CCI score by submitting:

1. Product-level lifecycle assessment (LCA) per ISO 14040/14044 or product carbon footprint (PCF) per ISO 14067, covering the specific candle formulation, container type, and production facility.
2. Wax origin and emission factor documentation — for soy wax, ISCC or equivalent certification covering soybean agriculture, solvent extraction, and hydrogenation. For paraffin, refinery gate emission factor data.
3. Glass jar EPD per EN 15804 from the jar manufacturer, specifying cullet rate and furnace fuel mix. FEVE-member producers publish collective EPDs applicable to jar formats.
4. Fragrance ingredient disclosure — mass percentage and emission factor by ingredient or compound class, from the fragrance house. IFRA-member companies increasingly publish this data under Scope 3 supplier engagement programmes.
5. Renewable energy certificates (RECs) for the candle manufacturing and pouring facility.

Methodology Notes

• CCI score of 0.9 kgCO2e represents a conservative mid-range estimate for a standard 300g paraffin-blend scented candle in a glass jar, manufactured in China or the USA. Published EPD and LCA data for comparable products range from approximately 0.5 kgCO2e (soy wax, tin container, EU production) to over 1.5 kgCO2e (complex fragrance, premium glass jar, China production with low cullet).
• Scope breakdown: Scope 3 dominates at ~83% (0.75 kgCO2e), driven by paraffin wax feedstock (~38%), glass jar (~28%), and fragrance oil synthesis (~16%). Scope 2 (candle pouring and manufacturing electricity) accounts for ~13% (0.12 kgCO2e). Scope 1 (direct heating for wax melting) is ~3% (0.03 kgCO2e).
• Functional unit: One standard scented candle unit (~300 g total weight including container), cradle-to-gate. Burn-time performance varies significantly (20–80 hours per unit), so per-hour-of-burn comparisons may be more meaningful for consumer decision-making.
• Medium confidence rating reflects availability of paraffin wax and glass jar EPD data, tempered by high fragrance complexity, significant within-category product variability (pillar vs. jar, soy vs. paraffin, scented vs. unscented), and limited publicly verified product-level LCA data from candle brands specifically.
• Wax type sensitivity: Switching from paraffin to soy wax does not reliably reduce emissions — soy wax can carry equal or higher cradle-to-gate emissions per kilogram depending on land-use assumptions. The narrative of “natural” wax as lower-carbon is not consistently supported by LCA data.
• Glass jar dominance: For jar candles, the glass container accounts for approximately 25–30% of total emissions despite being a passive packaging component. Refillable or reusable jar programmes (where consumers purchase wax refills) can substantially reduce repeat-purchase footprints.