Maths, Sustainability and Kindness: How Candle Making Is Lighting Up Classrooms
By Karen Platt, Co-Founder, CandleXchange
At CandleXchange, we believe candles can do more than bring light to a room, they can spark connection, learning, and positive change. That belief came to life in a deeply meaningful way recently, when we co-designed an immersive program with Redlands Junior School that wove together maths, sustainability, creativity, and community impact into a single, unforgettable experience.
Maths in Action: From Containers to Candles
The program set out to show students how the maths they learn in the classroom applies in the real world — not in worksheets, but in their hands. Working through each stage of the candle-making process, students explored:
- Measuring diameter — determining the right wick size for each container, applying geometry and proportions in a practical, tactile way
- Calculating capacity — finding the volume of containers and understanding why candles should never be filled to the top, putting subtraction and estimation to real use
- Liquid wax calculation — working out exactly how much wax each container required
- Fragrance ratios — using fractions, percentages and ratios to achieve precise fragrance-to-wax formulas
Beyond the numbers, students got genuinely hands-on: pouring wax, blending fragrance, carefully centering the wick. It's the kind of learning that sticks, because it connects abstract concepts to something they could smell, touch and take pride in.
Sustainability in Practice: Giving Containers a Second Life
A core part of everything we do at CandleXchange is designing waste out of candles. Traditional candle containers are made from tempered glass, which cannot be processed by standard recycling facilities, meaning most end up in landfill at the end of their life.
During the program, we worked with students to reclaim and upcycle used candle containers, showing how reuse extends their useful life while reducing environmental impact. For many students, this was their first hands-on experience of the circular economy in action and a powerful reminder that small, thoughtful choices can make a real difference.
Paying It Forward: The ReLove Connection
The candles the students made during the program had an even brighter purpose. Each one will be donated to ReLove, an organisation that provides home starter packages, including everyday essentials and homewares for women and families rebuilding their lives after domestic violence.
Through this, students didn't just practise maths and learn about sustainability. They experienced empathy, generosity, and the quiet joy of contributing to something bigger than themselves. Knowing their candles would bring warmth and comfort to someone starting over is a lesson no textbook can replicate.
This is also central to CandleXchange's UpCandle program, through which we've donated more than 4,200 candles to people transitioning into safe housing since our founding in 2021.
Lighting Minds and Hearts Together
This collaboration with Redlands Junior School is a reminder of what becomes possible when education, sustainability and community impact come together. By embedding real-world maths into a creative, purposeful activity, students experienced the relevance of their learning while discovering how their actions can ripple outward.
At CandleXchange, we're proud to support programs like these — and we'd love to bring this experience to more schools across Australia. If you're a teacher, school coordinator or community organisation interested in collaborating, we'd love to hear from you.
Interested in learning more about how CandleXchange gives back? Explore our UpCandle program and Return & Swap model.