Wax Woes

July 5, 2009 5:02 PM

Will a recycling depot accept my waxy bottles?

I work at a place that holds candlelit performances and we burn taper candles in wine bottles during the show (always with a staff member holding a fire extinguisher nearby).

As a result, there are dozens of excess bottles in the building that are covered in candle wax. My local recycling depot doesn't seem to want to answer their phone, so I want to know if there's any chance they might take them.

posted by futureisunwritten to grab bag (2 comments total)

I would think that wax poses no more of a problem for recycling than the paper and plastic labels that are normally found on bottles.
posted by orme at 6:02 PM on July 5

I know that wax is a problem when recycling paper, but I do not think it would be for recycling glass. That glass is melting at a temperature of at least 500 C. I'm having a hard time nailing down the boiling point of "wax," since there are so many, but paraffin boils at a temperature less than 500 C, so I would think that your wax probably boils off before the glass itself begins to melt.

I would chip off the big chunks and rest easy.
posted by adipocere at 6:28 PM on July 5