Crayons Alternative ways to recycle Trash Container Crayons are made from parafin wax (a petroleum by-product) and cannot be recycled. However, those in good condition or barely used (such as from restaurants) can be donated to local schools, daycare or after-school programs with programs like Crayon Connection. USE THEM UP TIP: Create new crayons by melting down your old crayon stubs! https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-recycle-old-crayons-into-new-crayons-1388486 PAPER COLORED WITH CRAYON: Any paper that has crayon wax on it is also not recyclable: “Similar to wax paper used for baking, paper with crayon drawings has a wax consistency added to the paper. During the process of recycling, paper is broken down by water. Since the wax layer that crayons add can’t be removed completely during recycling, the paper would not be able to be properly recycled. The wax layer makes the paper moisture resistant.” https://coloringmasterpiece.com/can-colored-paper-be-recycled/ Alternative to crayons? Colored pencils won’t have that waxy effect on paper and are a lot easier to color inside the lines! Alternative Ways to Recycle National Crayon Recycle Program You can give your old and unwanted crayons to the National Crayon Recycle Program. Just fill up a box of used or unwanted crayons and ship it to the program. Ways to Reuse Make New Crayons From the Old Ones Crayons that are too small to hold or are broken into pieces can be melted down and turned into new crayons at home. Find out how. Did You Know? The Impact of Crayons in Landfills Unfortunately, most crayons end up in landfills. The paper wrapper will break down with time, but crayons are made of a petroleum by-product called paraffin, which isn’t biodegradable and will just sit in the landfill forever. Between 45,000 and 75,000 pounds of broken crayons are annually thrown into landfills. Eco-Friendly Crayons You can find crayons made from soy and ones made from beeswax, both of which are completely biodegradable and paraffin wax free. Sparkle Star Crayons even makes new crayons from old ones, thus preventing those crayon stubs from ending up in landfills. Here’s a list of 7 non-toxic, eco-friendly crayon sets you can buy.
