Our mission is simple: to collect as many crayons as possible and donate them to kids in need in an environmental and arts education initiative. Billions of crayons are produced each year, and much of that ends up in our landfills. These petroleum-derived crayons can take years - even decades - to decompose. Meanwhile, U.S. teachers in underfunded public schools are spending an average of $900 of their own income every year on supplies for their classrooms. We seek to solve this issue in a very efficient and green way!
We pair participating Crayon Collection restaurant chains with local high-poverty Title 1 schools. These recipient schools pick up the restaurants' gently-used crayons every month to augment the supplies they need in their classrooms. Preschools and elementary schools throughout the country also hold crayon drives and donate to nearby schools in need, which teaches invaluable lessons to our youth about eco-mindedness and the daily opportunity to help others.