Justin Tappan pours wax into recycled bottles to make DIY candles.
With an emphasis on crafting sustainably, Justin Tappan of Tappan Candleworks repurposes old beer bottles to give them a second life as candleholders.
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Giving Beer Bottles a Second Life with Tappan Candleworks

By
August 2, 2023

Beer & Spirits

Wearing an orange apron and blue shirt, Tappan shows off two handmade candles.
“It takes energy to recycle something, so it’s still better to remove it [from the waste stream] and repurpose it,” Tappan says. Photo: Ashley Christianson

Reduce, reuse, recycle—a staple mantra that most often emphasizes “recycle.” While recycling remnants of a night out drinking is better than sending waste to a landfill, finding ways to reuse those empty beer bottles and cans saves energy and can provide some great decor for your home. In Utah County, Tappan Candleworks is a thriving example of a local business emphasizing sustainability through crafting by repurposing bottles and cans and turning them into candle holders.

Justin Tappan, founder of Tappan Candleworks, began making candles during the pandemic. An engineer by training and inspired by years of watching his dad invent things, Tappan started Tappan Candleworks with craft store supplies and empty candle jars. “At some point, I was taking out our glass recycling, and I think it was an Apothic [wine] bottle, and I remember just thinking, ‘This would be a beautiful candle,’” he says.

“At some point, I was taking out our glass recycling, and I think it was an Apothic [wine] bottle, and I remember just thinking, ‘This would be a beautiful candle,’”

Over the past two years, Tappan has grown his hobby into a side business. Part of his sustainability efforts include using every part of the bottle and reusing his own materials as much as possible. Tappan notes that part of what helped him establish his business ethos is the desire to take care of the planet and create a healthy lifestyle for him and his family. “I want to have a positive impact on the world,” he says. Recently, Tappan’s oldest child found some empty beer bottles on a hiking trail and, rather than letting them sit as waste, he took the bottles home, cleaned them and gave them a second life as candle holders.

“There are definitely some small steps you can take to reduce what you throw away and to see beauty in some of those things that were headed to the trash,”

Candles on display from Tappan Candleworks, recycled from beer, kombucha and soda bottles.
Reduce, reuse, recycle—a staple mantra that most often emphasizes “recycle.” Photo: Ashley Christianson

He says, “It takes energy to recycle something, so it’s still better to remove it [from the waste stream] and repurpose it.” Tappan sources his bottles from dumpster dives in glass recycling bins and leaves a box on his porch for customers to drop off their own bottles. His workshop even features a box of “busteds,” bottles with some imperfections that he still crafts with but cannot sell in their current condition. Tappan also offers a candle refill program, allowing people to keep family heirlooms or other special containers and reuse them.

Beginning a sustainability journey or trying a new craft can be overwhelming, and Tappan recommends starting small. His candle-making process has changed dramatically over the course of a few years, but sustainability has been central to his crafting. He recycles in his workshop and reuses elements such as popsicle sticks with holes drilled into them to hold candle wicks in place while they dry. “There are definitely some small steps you can take to reduce what you throw away and to see beauty in some of those things that were headed to the trash,” Tappan says.

If you’re considering a new project for your own beer bottles or looking for sustainable ways to repurpose materials, Tappan Candleworks is a great reference for getting started at home. Instead of just throwing away those empties after a night of drinking, rinse bottles to use as a vase for fresh flowers or to store home-brewed beer or kombucha. Make coasters or trivets out of beer caps. Use cans and bottles to hold string lights and decorate your backyard. Hammer the bottles and make a mosaic picture frame out of broken glass—or, donate them to a local artist, such as Tappan Candleworks.

Tappan Candleworks’ products can be purchased online at tappancandleworks.com or at farmers markets in Provo, Orem and Springville. Check out his candles at local shops The Collective Underground in Provo and Beespoke in American Fork, and swing by his booth at this year’s Craft Lake City DIY Fest. Find Tappan on Instagram @tappan.candleworks and send him a DM if you’d like to drop off some bottles.

Read more beer features (the ones you can drink): 
Appreciating the Outdoors One Brew at a Time 
Glitter and Hops: A Guide to Utah’s Pride-themed Brews