Member Spotlight

New Habit

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New Habit is a handmade candle company offering funky and unique candles in a variety of shapes, colors, and scents. Run by South Philly-based artist, Jess Mihalczo, New Habit invites people to slow down and take in life through the senses.

Why did you become a member?

As soon as I heard of CircularPHL, I knew I needed to get involved. A lot of candle companies call themselves “eco-friendly” for simply working with soy wax. This is great and an important part of my business as well.

But, there are so many other points of opportunity during candle production to introduce sustainability, particularly in the repurposing of glass and packaging materials.

What does a circular economy mean to your organization?

Working within a circular economy allows my business the opportunity to scale without compromising our morales and ethics. I’ve had numerous conversations with friends about the feasibility of maintaining my salsa jar line as my business scales, and the conversation usually goes in the direction of, “Well I guess you’ll have to eventually phase that out right?” To which I respond, “No. There has to be a better way.”

It is my hope that by partnering with CircularPHL and the amazing zero-waste organizations within their network, I can do the opposite of “phase out” my repurposed container line, and I can actually move all of my products into repurposed candle vessels.

How is your organization practicing circularity?

Over the past year, I’ve been collecting used salsa jars from friends and neighbors to upcycle them into my 13 oz container candles. But I can only bully my friends into eating so much salsa.

So when I saw that CircularPHL works with local partners like Rabbit Recycling, who repurpose glass and give it a new lease on life without relying on carbon-intensive, large-scale recycling plants, I knew this was the direction I needed to take my business in.

How can others advance the circular economy?

For those looking to help advance the circular economy, remember that huge change can start from just one conversation between neighbors. Reach out to your network and let them know that this is something you are interested in. Odds are, you already know someone with a connection. If you’re also thinking “there has to be a better way,” this might be the sign your looking for to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and ask for help. One of my favorite parts about running New Habit is when I get to connect with likeminded people and collaborate.