Sustainable Spotlight: Siblings
Siblings is a sustainable candle brand that is helping to eliminate the cycle of waste when it comes to using candles. As the name suggests, the brand was founded by two siblings, Eva Eckerblad and David Bronkie, with the goal to make the candle buying and burning process more eco-friendly. The brand offers DIY candle kits made from eco-conscious materials including plant-based packaging, natural coconut blend wax, and a lead-free cotton wick, while encouraging reuse of vessels and containers. We caught up with Eva Eckerblad and David Bronkie to learn more about this unique, sustainable candle brand.
Siblings Founders, Eva Eckerblad and David Bronkie
Can you share a little about the brand and what led to you launching your candle collection?
Eva Eckerblad: I had just moved back to the states after living in Sweden for a couple of years. Over there I noticed people have a much more sustainable mindset than we do here — they spend money on fewer, better things. This fresh perspective made me start looking at products differently. I had become a candle addict since living in Sweden (long dark winters) and it struck me that they were quite a wasteful product. You burn them once and then you’re stuck with a vessel that often ends up getting tossed away. Many vessels don’t get properly recycled, and you can really only have so many jars for pens and plants. My brother David and I were both looking for a creative outlet at the time so we started chatting about how we might do candles differently, more sustainably. Our conversations led us to the idea of a DIY candle kit that you could use to keep refilling vessels you already had.
What makes Siblings different from other candles?
Our big idea is that you can refill and reuse vessels you already have. So we’re taking a lot of vessels that might have only been used once and then tossed out of landfill. Also, our packaging is basically only the weight of the wax, so we’ve reduced unnecessary emissions being spent shipping around heavy glass.
Just microwave the bag to melt the wax, then pour into one of your favorite containers and add in the wick.
Do you have a signature or most popular scent? What's your personal favorite?
No 01 (Bergamot, White Rose, Oakmoss) is our signature, and most popular scent. It’s a safe bet if you’re unsure about which scent to try. My personal favorite in No 05 (Clove, Lavender, Cedarwood) and David’s is No 04. (Eucalyptus, Balsam, Wild Berries) Though we have a couple new scents coming out that might challenge those!
Do you consider Siblings a "clean" candle brand?
We absolutely consider ourselves to be a clean brand and a better alternative to mass-produced candles. Our candle wax is a natural blend of coconut, soy and beeswax. A lot of mass-produced candles are made with paraffin which is a by-product of the petroleum industry, and really isn’t a good thing to be burning in your home. Our scents are made with non-toxic fragrance and essential oils. They’re free of parabens and phthalates, so customers can feel safe lighting them daily. The wicks we use are a lead-free cotton.
What steps does your brand take towards being sustainable?
Aside from striving to create the most sustainable packaging and high quality, ethically-made products we can — each year we offset any carbon emissions we produce as a cost of doing business. We partner with an organization called Pachama to fund projects that protect and restore forests, the most valuable resource we have to combat climate change.
[Images courtesy of Siblings]
Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy