Bees for Development Journal 137 December 2020
Refining beeswax and its commercial uses Stephen Case-Green, Technical Director, the British Wax Refining Company Ltd, UK The British Wax Refining Company has been refining and supplying beeswax for over 100 years. Started in Surrey, UK in 1914 by my great grandfather, the Company has undergone many changes over the years, however our beeswax processing has changed little and remains a significant part of our business. Newer materials have become available and sometimes replaced beeswax, yet there are many applications where beeswax is irreplaceable and now, when people are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of products, it certainly has a part to play.
Company in Kenya to refine beeswax produced in Kenya and other East African countries. To gather enough beeswax, a network has been established that collects it from farmers and producer groups. When enough beeswax has been collected, lorries take it to a facility in Kenya for processing. We recently started a programme of sourcing pesticide free/organic beeswax using the same type of network of collectors. This has involved providing training to ensure bees are treated well, the beeswax is free of any pesticides such as pyrethroids found in mosquito repellent, paying good prices for high quality beeswax and providing access to beekeeping resources. Since 2011 all beeswax entering the EU has had to undergo a rendering process. The beeswax is melted and left at high temperature for a time. Leaving beeswax at an elevated temperature is not ideal for producing the lightest beeswax colour but it is necessary to stop the possible transmission of organisms that may cause problems to bees.
Refining beeswax A lot of beeswax is required: a usual batch size is 800-1,000kg. We import most of our beeswax and source enough crude beeswax to fill a shipping container: 14–20 tonnes. We purchase crude beeswax mainly from Africa and have set up a new Joint Venture
Images © British Wax Refining Company Ltd
Beeswax refining is more a case of cleaning it and changing the colour than removing any of the many
A training class for beeswax collectors in Tanzania 6
