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National | Business

Sisters making 'light' of recycling situation

A pair of sisters (Tainui, Kuki Airani) have come up with an innovative alternative to the traditional recycling process of glass bottles: 'upcycling' them into scented candles.

Acaicia Paoo, 15 and Torah Paoo, 16, have been working on their product, "Ahi Kā" for a few months now with the help of their parents.

"Our family uses a lot of glass bottles and so we just wanted to make the use of them," says Torah.

An integral part of the product is ensuring that the process is in harmony with their eco-friendly values.

"Making sure that what we were filling the candles with was environmentally friendly because that sits really close to our hearts," says proud mum and business mentor, Roimata Taniwha-Paoo (Waikato-Maniapoto ki Pirongia)

The Paoo sisters spoke to Te Ao and explained the "upcycling" process:

1. Firstly, rinse the bottles out.

2. Start cutting the bottles with glass cutter (only the bottom half is used).

3. Sand the bottles so that there's no sharp edges.

4. Measure out the wax (depending on size of candle) and melt it.

5. Set the wick in the bottle (bottom half).

6. Add the scent to the mixture and then pour it in and let it set.

So far, the South Auckland sisters have made 60-70 candles and have sold all of them.

They say their business ventures were fuelled by their desire to be leaders for local rangatahi, inspiring them to do similar projects.

"The main reason we really wanted to do this was to be leaders for other young Māori and encourage them to do projects that look after Papatūānuku," says Acaicia.

Currently, the young entrepreneurs are looking to raise funds for a workshop they can use to hone their craft and produce more candles.