Sustainable and Women-Led Old Pine Candle Co Has an Enlightening Mission

Old Pine Candle Company — the local, small business based in Evergreen – stems from creators Dani and Ryan Rooney’s own search for candles to warm their very first home. Today, six years since its official launch, the duo continues to warm the hearts and homes of its consumers.

As the owner, Dani says owning a small business has been a dream of hers for many years. “The idea of owning a small business spoke to my heart,” she said. “It felt creative and filled with limitless opportunity.”

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Dani Rooney, Old Pine Candle Co, candles, owner

Dani Rooney, owner and creator of Old Pine Candle Co. Photo by Elle Hart Photography.

Old Pine Candle Co centers community and sustainability at the heart of its company. The 100% soy wax candles are eco-friendly, high-quality, hand-poured and small-batch. Better yet, they give back to the planet. The company prints its promise on each candle, a promise “to help people shine their light by donating 10% of our annual profits to a person, charity or organization that [they] believe in,” according to Dani. Past recipients include Evergreen Sustainability Alliance, an organization that focuses on fostering local, sustainable solutions for food resources, waste streams and energy use in Old Pine Candle Co’s home base in Evergreen.

In addition to the company’s environmental advocacy, its team supports various other local organizations, including the Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce, Kittredge Civic Association and Kittredge Community Garden. It also even pioneers its own “Buy a Candle, Plant a Tree” reforestation program.

Every candle manufactured by Old Pine Candle Co is created using 100% soy wax. They also sell a completely recycled candle, made from entirely remnant wax and recyclable packaging from Colorado-based company Eco-Enclose. Old Pine Candle Co is highly impactful in the community, collaborating with local stockists, such as Nellybelle General Store and The Perfect Petal, to offer a jar-recycling program and even provide recycling education to their candle connoisseurs. “We consider every decision we make as a business,” Dani said. “Our entire team is extremely passionate about sustainability and how we can incorporate it into Old Pine and improve.”

Intentionality and collaboration go beyond just sustainability at Old Pine. The company is also proud to be women-owned and led. Rooney credits the company’s strong sense of community to her five-person female team. “I am grateful every day for the village of women who create and support Old Pine Candle Co. They encourage me to take bigger risks, be human and always stay true to our core values,” she said. “There really is an element of magic in the collaboration among women.”

To Rooney, strong female leadership is about, “creating your own path knowing that it may be different than expected or how it was shown to you in the past. It is understanding your ability to define success on your own terms.” Like her candles that boast a burn time of over 45-plus hours, Old Pine is making a long-lasting impact in the Colorado community. 

old pine candle co, candles, holiday

Photo courtesy of Old Pine Candle Co.

To purchase your own Old Pine Candle Co candles, visit their website. Seasonal scents and holiday gift sets are set to launch on November 1.