In 2015, the United States generated about 262 million tons of municipal waste. About 35 million tons of that came from plastic products, and almost 7 million tons came from glass. With these figures, it’s easy to see why it is so important that we do everything we can to help the environment and support businesses that do the same.

This is why we here at Panacea value sustainability, recycling, and upcycling as a way to help our environment. We offer reusable growlers and encourage you to bring your own containers to be filled with your favorite kombucha. We also have reusable cups. But we don’t stop there. We also like to partner with other local business owners that use their businesses to promote sustainability, recycling, and upcycling.

One of these local businesses is 2 Chicks with Scents owned by Bitsy Crawford and Kara Ryder.

It all started when owner Bitsy’s medical issues made her job as a chef too difficult to manage. She began making candles and other health products with essential oils in her home. Pretty soon friends and family began asking for her products and before she knew it, 2 Chicks with Scents was born. Officially started in 2012, 2 Chicks with Scents became a sustainable business that prompts health and wellness through essential oils, crystals, aromatherapy.

Now, almost seven years later, Bitsy and her partner Kara make salves, balms, element sprays, bath salts, soy candles, and essential oil blends. When they first started, they sourced mason jars from China, but soon realized the unneccesary waste and expense. Then they poured candles into whatever containers they had available. Even as 2 Chicks with Scents grew, they kept with the theme of recycling and upcycling, and even added in a way to support other local businesses.

All of the candles are hand poured at 2 Chicks with Scents into recycled or upcycled containers from the community. Friends and customers give old jars, teacups, and even beer bottles to Bitsy and Kara to use for their candles. In fact, Panacea saves the old Unity Vibrations bottles we sell and donate them to Bitsy to use for her business.

2 Chicks with Scents gets all of the pottery they use from local artists. These products are not just for candles. After the candles have burned out, you can use these containers as drinking glasses, pen or toothbrush holders, or for anything you need around your home or office. You can even bring the containers back to themfor a discounted candle refill. By doing this, 2 Chicks with Scents encourages their customers upcycle and recycle.

This is true even with the soy candles. The 2 Chicks team uses locally sourced soy for their products, which also double as a moisturizer. While many people think that candles are single use items, you can enjoy 2 Chicks with Scents’ candles and use the wax as a natural moisturizer, making a typically single-use item a multi-use item.

But 2 Chicks with Scents does more than just recycle and upcycle. They also make sure that all of their products come from companies that care about the environment just as much as they do.

The wooden wicks that they used are bought from Wooden Wicks, a small company based out of Oregon, that sustainability creates its products and helps plant more trees in the environment. Also, all the crystals that 2 Chicks with Scents are sustainability and naturally gathered. All of the plastic products that Bitsy and Kara use are BPA free, and when they need to buy jars for candles, they buy from a company that makes the jars from recycled glass.

2 Chicks with Scent sustainably provides Wilmington and the surrounding areas with great products all while helping support other local businesses. You can find their products at Madame Meerkat’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Going Local, local Farmers Markets, and on their website. Help support 2 Chicks with Scents as they support sustainability, recycling, and upcycling in our community.