Photo courtesy of LitMKE
LitMKE candles
LitMKE candles in upcycled wine, alcohol and liquor bottles.
Driven by his passion for recycling and sustainability, Mike Bate hand-makes scented soy and coconut wax candles using repurposed bottles and cans by way of his business LitMKE. “I have a hard time watching things go in the garbage when they could be made into something new,” Bate says. Since 2015 he has vended LitMKE at community events and markets around town, plus LitMKE has an online store and takes custom orders.
Entirely self-taught, Bate makes candles by cutting the tops off beverage containers, sanding them and then pouring wax. Cans and bottles are therefore given second lives rather than be dumped in landfills and rivers. “A lot of people save bottles for sentimental value but don’t really do anything with them,” Bate points out. “I’m all about functionality.”
Having worked in the Milwaukee service industry for many years, Bate has plenty of connections for getting cans and bottles but will take them from anyone. “I would go dumpster diving and that was fun,” he explains. “The more you put yourself out there and people see it, the more they’ll want to help you because they connect with this.”
Whether in a Pabst Blue Ribbon or La Croix can, Jameson or Tito’s bottle or Guinness tall boy, LitMKE candles are all made from soy and coconut wax, which Bate favors for their clean, slow-burning properties. He fashions each candle’s wick depending on the height and width of the container. “You’ll get a lot of miles out of them,” he affirms about their longevity. “Because I don’t have to pay for labels and jars and lids, I don’t have as many fixed costs that other candle companies have so I can get the coconut wax which is more expensive.” Bate also refills candles so folks may return to him once theirs burns low.
Flowers and Lemons
For scent, Bate makes an effort to match the type of beverage the candle container once held. For example, a candle in a wine or bourbon bottle with a floral label might smell like flowers, or a LimonCello La Croix candle may have a lemon scent. “Then I don’t have to overthink it,” Bate notes. “All of these companies keep coming up with these new flavor profiles so I just follow what’s out there and being consumed.” Lately, LitMKE’s bestselling candle scent has been oakmoss and amber. Additional LitMKE merchandise for sale includes shirts, hoodies and advent calendars.
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Born and raised in Milwaukee, Bate started LitMKE out of his two-bedroom apartment above Bosley on Brady (now The Diplomat) where he also worked. “I would take the bottles from downstairs and then go upstairs and start the process,” he recalls. “I just hated seeing so many bottles go to waste, especially when you think about Brady Street and how much goes in the trash per night, week, month…per year.”
Bate chose to make candles for their universal charm as gifts during holidays, birthdays and celebrations. “The first ones I ever made were gifts to my mom and sister,” he remembers. “A few days later, they said that these were actually really good candles.”
Markets and Events
Mainstay events for LitMKE include Milwaukee Night Market, re:Craft and Relic, Holy Hill Art Farm and Cedarburg’s Strawberry Festival. Bate also produces markets of his own such as Make Art MKE at Mount Mary University every September, which comprises 175 vendors and five food trucks. “We ended up saving that show after the university sunsetted it,” Bate mentions. “They gave us their blessing to continue on the legacy.”
Photo courtesy of LitMKE
Toastique candles by LitMKE
Toastique candles by LitMKE
Bate also runs the night market Art & Hops, curated in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks’ Traveling Beer Garden. The event debuted in Cooper Park and has since expanded to communities across the city. This year, Art & Hops opens on May 14 at Wilson Park from 5 to 9 p.m. and will feature more than 30 vendors. “Everyone is so passionate about making what they want to see in the world and have it reach the people, so now I’m excited about creating opportunities and events where we can all come together and support ourselves,” Bate reckons.
Recently, LitMKE partnered with DC-based gourmet toast and juice company Toastique where Bate now makes candles out of Toastique juice bottles and dyeing the wax the same color as the beverage. While Toastique does not yet have a franchise in Milwaukee, LitMKE provides the company with candles in its stores nationwide. “It’s been one of the biggest blessings of my life,” Bate states.
LitMKE candles may be found in a number of local stores including Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, Urban Milwaukee: The Store, Ope! Brewing and West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe. To get in touch, contact Bate via the LitMKE website.
