Darumapedia - NEWS: EDO MINGEI

LINK
http://haikutopics.blogspot.jp/2006/09/candle-roosoku.html

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. Doing Business in Edo　- 江戸の商売 .
Recycling and Reuse - リサイクルと　再生　/ 再使用

roosoku no nagare kai ロウソクの流れ買い buying candle wax drippings

He bought the last bit of wax of burned-out candles, determining the prize after weighing the wax. Then they melted it all and make new candles in this recycle process.
The wax dripping down on candles was also called
roorui 蝋涙 "tears of wax"

岡場所錦絵　辰巳八景ノ内　香蝶楼国貞　
(遊郭で使うぶら提灯は通常より大きい。
後ろは高張提灯 (in the back a Takahara Chochin lantern)
Geisha on the way home. Their lanterns (and thus candles) were extra large.

- source : cleanup.jp/life

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Japanese candles (wa roosoku　和蝋燭わろうそく)
with a peony decoration (see discussion below)