Current Conditions
26°F - P/SUNNY
In the last six months, the new business has repurposed more than 7,500 glass bottles into decorative gel candles made from beer and liquor bottles — many collected from businesses in Lancaster County.
The couple behind Lets Get Lit, Kyle Branderhorst and Kathryn Ludlow, said they'd rather the bottles come to them than end up in one of many landfills across the country.
"The bars, restaurants and breweries around here have been very receptive to the idea," said Branderhorst, who originally hails from Oregon. "We've worked out agreements with a lot of businesses in which they set aside the bottles for us.
"Some breweries have even been giving us blank bottles they can't use in production lines," he said. "Nothing gets wasted. And if we can't reuse a bottle because it's damaged, then we just recycle it."
Branderhorst said the business started out in "various basements," but has finally settled in a small barn nestled in the Elizabethtown countryside.
On Wednesday, the barn held thousands of bottles bearing names like J&B, SKYY Vodka, Captain Morgan, Kahlua and P.I.N.K.
In one corner were small pots the candle makers use to cook up the gel wax. Nearby was an assortment of bottled dyes and scents.
The only part of the process kept under wraps was how the candle makers cleanly remove the bottlenecks."That's a business secret," Branderhorst said, smiling.
"I like to tell people we use samurai swords," said Lets Get Lit candle maker Oliver Wilson, who was on hand to tidy up the barn Wednesday. "Or lasers."
Candles made from beer bottles are sold for $11, while candles made from liquor bottles are priced anywhere from $22 to $30.
The candles provide a radiant glow and burn three times longer than an average candle, according to the company's Web site.
"Our product gets around because we go to a lot of festivals to sell our candles," Branderhorst said. "We even got an e-mail from a woman in Texas who was caught in that Hurricane Ike mess. The lights in her home went out, and she said our candles kept burning for a long, long time.
"That definitely made us feel good," he said.
Branderhorst met Ludlow (a Lancaster County native) in Idaho. The couple then moved to Asia and finally back to Pennsylvania.
"We had a fair-trade import business," Branderhorst said. "It was difficult negotiating, especially with people who only knew English as a second language."
(54) (5) (5) (3) (3) (3)Fortunately, the couple's work history made it easier to approach business owners and pitch their idea.
Right now, Lets Get Lit deals with both private businesses and national chains.
"We pick up bottles from everywhere," Branderhorst said. "You name it, Chili's, The (Lancaster) Dispensing Company, Shank's.
"But we're not just picking up in Pennsylvania," he said. "For great bottles, we'll go anywhere. We go to New York a lot for pickups."
The team also does its share of festival appearances to sell products. At last count, Lets Get Lit candles have turned up in 20 states.
"People like the green approach," Branderhorst said. "It's also a way to cross-promote businesses. Someone in Maryland may see one of our Lancaster Brewery bottles and get the idea to visit if they're in Pennsylvania."
Wilson said their candles generally make people smile.
"And we can make a candle out of any kind of bottle," he said. "Kids like the candles made out of ketchup bottles. We can do anything that's fun."
Eventually, Lets Get Lit would like to obtain its own recycling license.
"So we can have bins here for people who want to drop off," he said. "It would make the barn more like a recycling center."
In the meantime, the new business has plenty of bottles to work with.
"We're going to need T-shirts soon," Branderhorst said. "We were thinking one that says, 'If It's Not a Lets Get Lit Candle, Then You've Been Burned.' "
He said he expects the business to grow rapidly.
"What's not to like?" Branderhorst said. "The candle buyers are happy with the product, the businesses are happy to let us take the bottles off their hands, and nothing is wasted.
"Being green generally leaves everyone happy," he said.
For more information about Lets Get Lit Candles, go to www.letsgetlitcandles.com or contact letsgetlitcandles@gmail.com or 798-8040.
E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com
