Our Sustainability Journey

At Murray's Flames, sustainability isn't a buzzword — it's a commitment we're actively building into every part of our business. We're only 11 months in, and we won't pretend we've got it all figured out. But we believe in being honest about where we are, transparent about our challenges, and clear about where we're headed.

Where We Are Today

Making meaningful change takes time and investment. As a small, independent Irish business, we're taking deliberate steps — not drastic leaps — to reduce our environmental footprint without compromising on the quality and craft our customers love.

Education & Programmes

We believe that doing better starts with knowing better. That's why we've invested in our own sustainability education:

  • MODOS Programme — completed, equipping us with practical tools for sustainable business operations.
  • Green Marketing with Muireann Fitzmaurice — helping us communicate our sustainability story authentically and responsibly.
  • Sustainability Leaders Programme with Climate Ready Academy — currently completing, deepening our understanding of climate action and sustainable business leadership.

What We're Already Doing

♻️ Waste & Recycling

  • Approximately 75% of our waste is recycled — including cardboard boxes, paper, and other materials.
  • All wax used during testing is reused, ensuring nothing goes to waste during our development process.
  • Wax remnants are reused for fire starters.
  • Candle jars are designed to be reused, repurposed, or fully recycled.
  • Tin packaging is recyclable or reusable.
  • We're researching refill candles as a future offering — because while glass is recyclable, reducing the need for new vessels altogether is even better.

⚡ Energy

  • Approximately 80% of our energy comes from renewable sources, including solar panels at our studio, with plans to grow this over time.
  • We use LED lighting throughout our workspace.
  • All equipment and lights are switched off when not in use — simple habits that add up.

💧 Water

  • We're actively working to reduce water waste during production and cleaning.
  • We're introducing rainwater harvesting — collecting and using rainwater in our production and cleaning processes to reduce our reliance on mains water.

🌿 Materials & Ingredients

  • We use recyclable packaging and natural materials across our core range.
  • Our seasonal beeswax line uses natural, biodegradable wax — a fully sustainable product.
  • Our fragrance oils are phthalate and paraben free. We've also researched the carbon footprint of our ingredients carefully — fragrance oils actually produce lower carbon emissions during production than essential oils, making them the more climate-conscious choice for our candles at this time.

What We're Working Towards

🔄 Tackling Scope 3 Carbon Emissions

Scope 3 emissions — those that occur across our wider value chain, beyond our own operations — are something we're taking seriously. We're working to address these in two key ways:

  • Tracking the carbon footprint of the products we sell — understanding the emissions embedded in our products so we can make more informed decisions and be transparent with our customers.
  • Helping hotels reduce their own emissions through our closed-loop wax refinery system — turning a waste problem in the hospitality sector into a circular solution. Learn more →

🏨 Closed-Loop Wax Refinery System

We have developed a closed-loop, zero-waste wax refinery system for the hospitality sector, recognised by the Green Hospitality Programme as a Circular Economy criterion. Read more about the programme →

Our Commitment

We may not be carbon-zero today. But we are carbon-conscious, actively learning, and building a business that takes its responsibility to people and planet seriously — one candle, one decision, one partnership at a time.

Read our full Sustainability Charter to see our specific commitments and timelines.

If you're a hotel or hospitality business interested in our wax refinery programme, or if you'd like to learn more about our sustainability journey, we'd love to hear from you.

Get in touch: Contact Us