Incredibly Satisfying Symbolic Dumpster Fire Candles

In 2016, North Carolina filmmaker Meredith Schmidt was having a rough time of with life in general when she started using the term “dumpster fire”. Schmidt ran with this idea, creating an incredibly satisfying line of candles shaped like miniature dumpsters that, unlike real dumpsters, are actually legal to burn.

Desperate to turn the corner and find some light, one evening the idea to create a literal dumpster fire popped into my brain. It’s an image that is devastating and funny at the same time, but it seemed dangerous and illegal to blaze a real dumpster. The challenge: how can I scale this down and make it accessible without compromising the metaphor of a burning dumpster? Thus, a candle in the shape of a dumpster was born.

My hope is that Dumpster Fire Candle makes people smirk. It represents redemption, letting go or just some good old fashioned hatred. Burn, baby, burn.

The candles are handmade and come in a range of colors and scents. There’s even a candle that smells like “white trash” for a true symbolic purge or just as a joke.

Yes. This candle smells like literal, gross trash. You’re asking me why? It’s simple: I had enough people ask me if I had a dumpster candle that smells like trash that I thought there’d be demand for this sucker. Turns out, not so much. So if you’re in the market for a disgusting smelling candle to send as a gag gift or give to a frenemy, look no further.