Between 25 and 35 tons of crayons are trashed every year in the United States. Do you ever wonder what happens to crayons when they are broken or go unused in the classroom? What about all those little crayons that come with your kid’s meal at restaurants?
Dad, Bryan Ware, asked that same question one night after eating out with his family. He was told that often the crayons go straight to the trash. He said that night he took the crayons home with him and started thinking about how to use the “free” crayons. “He was convinced that the life of restaurant crayons didn’t have to end there. It became his personal challenge to find a creative way to recirculate the endless supply of free materials and bring the Arts to children everywhere. The Crayon Initiative was born: recycling unwanted crayons into unlimited possibilities for children.”
Ware decided to recycle the crayons and give them to children in hospitals. “During a hospital stay, it’s important for children to continue normal childhood development and skills building and to keep life as close to “normal” as possible for them. Art helps hospitalized children by alleviating anxiety, providing psychological support, and offering creative outlets for self-expression.”
How can you help?
The best way to volunteer is to get a bin or box, download our stickers and collect crayons! You can also encourage your child’s teacher to donate at the end of the year. The Crayon Initiative suggests using a flat rate box to send them to:
You can also visit your local restaurants and ask them to participate in collecting crayons. Of course they also accept cash.
Have you ever thought about all the unused crayons? What do you do with your child’s leftovers?
