Career paths with heart - Sandwick Bay Candles

Theresa Peteranna studied Literature, and Film and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen. The 24 year old secured a place through HIE's graduate placement scheme at Sandwick Bay Candles in Stornoway. She is working with the business to further develop and promote a refill service for products, introduced to reduce packaging materials and to contribute to a zero waste strategy.

What is your role, and how does that relate to the net zero journey?

At Sandwick Bay Candles I have been running social media channels and creating marketing campaigns for the company’s new refillable household products range and refill station. As well as being naturally derived and eco-friendly products, the shop’s new refill station encourages customers to refill their containers in a closed-loop system. Having refilled candles on a one-to-one basis for years, the refill station and reduction of packaging materials is a natural step in Megan’s ‘candles with a conscience’ ethos and I am delighted to be a part of it.

How do you feel about the benefits of the work you're involved in? 

The climate emergency is urgent and requires individual action from all of us. Even small businesses need to consider their impact on the environment, and I am thrilled to be working within a company that offers such a forward-thinking initiative to a small island community, empowering local people and making it easier than ever to make smart choices and live sustainability.

As well as all the benefits of working within the team at Sandwick Bay, my work has also encouraged me to a be a more conscious consumer. It's so easy to make simple swaps – bamboo cotton pads, natural deodorant, recycled bags, household products and of course I love it when it’s time to refill my own bottles!

Every day I learn something new about digital marketing and small business life, and I’d love to join other organisations with similar heart and ambition in the future.

As a Inverness girl originally, what do you love about your island job? 

I have the perfect balance, I love the shop – a cosmopolitan little piece of Melbourne – and I also love the lifestyle. The natural landscape is so beautiful and varied that I’ve really enjoyed spending my time outside of work exploring. I’ve become addicted to sea and loch swimming, and with every season of the year so unique here, I am interested to see the dramatic changes as we head into the winter.

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