Starting a business rooted in the strictest standards of sustainable and eco-friendly production is neither simple nor easy.
This path is filled with restrictions — most of which go against what is typically considered smart or profitable business strategy: expensive raw materials, higher production costs, limited capacity, and less variety (unless driven by endless creativity). A smaller customer base is almost inevitable, and many of the usual efficiency or cost-cutting methods become inaccessible if one is not willing to compromise their principles.
“Sounds like a plan for long hours, hard work, and very little pay,” is something seasoned businesspeople might say — and yes, we do see their point. We knew it would be tough. But we believe it's worth doing, and worth doing right. These values matter. If we abandon our principles when nature is at stake, then none of it holds meaning.
So, setting up an all-natural candle company was a deliberate, well-informed — and risky — decision. Every anticipated obstacle became real. It is, indeed, a struggle. But it has also been a meaningful and enlightening experience.
However, one challenge caught us off guard — and it truly hurts: greenwashing.
Not just the general greenwashing you begin to notice once you look closely at production and marketing. What stings most is greenwashing by competitors — companies that falsely market their products as “natural” or “sustainable,” gaining an unfair advantage while compromising on ethics and honesty.
Greenwashing is more than misleading — it's fraudulent. It distorts the market and undermines real environmental efforts. The EU has recognised this and will enforce regulation by 2026. In Denmark, the Forbrugerombudsmand (Consumer Ombudsman) has defined and regulated against it. But the rules mostly apply to large corporations, leaving small-scale violations unchecked and consumers unprotected.
Greenwashing deceives us all. It denies us the right to make informed choices and misuses our financial and ethical efforts to support sustainability. It breeds disillusionment, distrust, and apathy — eroding both consumer confidence and the hard work of genuine eco-conscious businesses like ours.
The United Nations states:
“Greenwashing presents a significant obstacle to tackling climate change... It promotes false solutions that distract from and delay concrete, credible action.”
Today, over 80% of global emissions are covered by net-zero pledges. But real progress requires real honesty.
Starting a business rooted in the strictest standards of sustainable and eco-friendly production is neither simple nor easy.
This path is filled with restrictions — most of which go against what is typically considered smart or profitable business strategy: expensive raw materials, higher production costs, limited capacity, and less variety (unless driven by endless creativity). A smaller customer base is almost inevitable, and many of the usual efficiency or cost-cutting methods become inaccessible if one is not willing to compromise their principles.
“Sounds like a plan for long hours, hard work, and very little pay,” is something seasoned businesspeople might say — and yes, we do see their point. We knew it would be tough. But we believe it's worth doing, and worth doing right. These values matter. If we abandon our principles when nature is at stake, then none of it holds meaning.
So, setting up an all-natural candle company was a deliberate, well-informed — and risky — decision. Every anticipated obstacle became real. It is, indeed, a struggle. But it has also been a meaningful and enlightening experience.
However, one challenge caught us off guard — and it truly hurts: greenwashing.
Not just the general greenwashing you begin to notice once you look closely at production and marketing. What stings most is greenwashing by competitors — companies that falsely market their products as “natural” or “sustainable,” gaining an unfair advantage while compromising on ethics and honesty.
Greenwashing is more than misleading — it's fraudulent. It distorts the market and undermines real environmental efforts. The EU has recognised this and will enforce regulation by 2026. In Denmark, the Forbrugerombudsmand (Consumer Ombudsman) has defined and regulated against it. But the rules mostly apply to large corporations, leaving small-scale violations unchecked and consumers unprotected.
Greenwashing deceives us all. It denies us the right to make informed choices and misuses our financial and ethical efforts to support sustainability. It breeds disillusionment, distrust, and apathy — eroding both consumer confidence and the hard work of genuine eco-conscious businesses like ours.
The United Nations states:
“Greenwashing presents a significant obstacle to tackling climate change... It promotes false solutions that distract from and delay concrete, credible action.”
Today, over 80% of global emissions are covered by net-zero pledges. But real progress requires real honesty.