Climate Crush: Singaporean Brand Pass It On Makes Plantable Candles That Promote Reforestation

Singapore-based startup Pass It On is making plantable candles and helping reforestation efforts in Bali at the same time. Not only are their entire range of soy wax candles packaged completely plastic-free, the pots themselves can be reused as a planter to grow the wildflower seeds that come with the paper pot lid. For each purchase, the company provides a donation of 10 trees through a partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects, and is well on the way to planting a quarter of a million trees by the end of this year. 

Singaporean startup Pass It On has designed a range of plantable candles, which are made from 100% soy wax contained in a reusable sustainably-made pot. Instead of glass jars, Pass It On uses pots for candle holders that can then be reused as planters.

The candle lid label is made with biodegradable wildflower seed paper that can be torn up and placed into the pot to grow once the candle is finished. The outer packaging is completely plastic-free, with the box made out of recyclable corrugated cardboard, and the candle itself contains no dyes, parabens, phthalates, no petroleum products and other toxic synthetic ingredients that do harm to the planet and our health. 

Founder of the brand Michelle Chow was inspired to start her zero-waste reusable candle project on a trip to Australia’s Great Barrier reef. Shocked at the ecological destruction of human activities on nature, she decided to create something to remind people of the need to protect and conserve our degrading planet, and fight the climate crisis. To promote this message, every scent of Pass It On’s range of candles is accompanied by a hand-drawn sketch of an endangered travel destination by local Singaporean artist Charmaine. 

In addition, in partnership with nonprofit Eden Reforestation Projects, the brand will match every purchase with a donation of 10 trees to be planted in West Bali, Indonesia. To track their progress, Pass It On has collaborated with the Trillion Tree Campaign so customers can see their impact in helping Indonesia’s rainforests regrow from years of ongoing deforestation driven by demand for palm oil and derivative products.

With the company’s recent Kickstarter project exceeding its funding goal by more than 5 times, Pass It On hopes that they will be able to contribute 250,000 trees by the end of 2020. 

As more people around the world wake up to the astonishing devastation we have wreaked on our planet and the severity of the climate crisis, more consumers and businesses are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact through tree planting projects.

Much of it thanks to the alarm raised by teenage activist Greta Thunberg, reforestation projects all over the world have seen a major spike in funding to rebuild our precious rainforests, one of the crucial carbon-absorbing tools of our planet. Even luxury brand Gucci has joined the tree planting trend, planting enough trees last year to neutralise the carbon across its supply chain. 

There are different tools for individuals to use as well, many of them tech-forward and catering specifically to carbon offsetting through reforestation efforts.

From using the tree planting search engine Ecosia, which doesn’t track users’ data, to installing browser extension TreeClicks that plants trees using with online purchase on its affiliated e-commerce websites, individuals are now looking at plenty of options to reduce their environmental impact.

More recently, Singaporean app Capture helps individuals track their own emissions from transport, and offers monthly options to offset it through supporting reforestation projects. 

Lead image courtesy of Pass It On.