Broken Crayons Still Have Color Left to Give.
Old Colors. New Possibilities.
The Crayon Recycling Project collects broken and unwanted crayons and transforms them into newly molded art supplies with a touch of beeswax. Together, we can keep usable materials out of the trash and put more color back into our communities.
A small, hands-on recycling and creative-reuse initiative serving Northern Illinois and nearby participating communities.
A Small Material Can Carry a Big Lesson.
A crayon does not stop being useful just because it breaks or becomes too small to hold. It still contains wax and color pigments that can be recovered and used again.
Donated crayons are collected, sorted, carefully remade with beeswax, and poured into new molds. The finished crayons can then be returned, gifted, or donated for another round of creativity.
All sorting, melting, and remolding is completed by the project organizer. Collection partners only need to gather the crayons and arrange their return or pickup.
Collect. Sort. Remake. Remold. Share.
A simple process gives overlooked art supplies another creative life.
Collect
Broken and unwanted crayons are gathered in community collection jars.
Sort
Donated crayons are inspected and sorted by color and type.
Remake
Accepted crayons are carefully remelted and combined with a small amount of beeswax.
Remold
The reclaimed wax is poured into fun, easy-to-hold molds.
Share
Finished crayons are returned, gifted, or donated to another organization.
Small Pieces Can Still Make a Difference.
Broken crayons are often discarded even though their wax and pigments remain usable. Creative reuse extends the useful life of those materials and helps children see that “broken” does not always mean “finished.”
Usable Material
Broken crayons still contain wax and color pigment that can be recovered and used again.
Creative Reuse
Keeping existing materials in circulation longer gives them more value before they become waste.
A Learning Opportunity
A familiar art supply becomes a hands-on way to explore recycling and material lifecycles.
Made by Bees. Reimagined for Art.
Worker honey bees produce beeswax to construct the comb inside their hive. Bees use the carefully formed cells to store honey and pollen and to raise developing bees.
The Crayon Recycling Project adds a small amount of beeswax to reclaimed crayon wax. This gives each batch a distinctive handmade character and helps create sturdy, smooth, newly molded art supplies.
- Connects environmental education with honey bee science
- Creates a sturdy, smooth handmade finish
- Turns familiar materials into a memorable learning story
What Can Go in the Collection Jar?
Good sorting starts at the collection point. Ordinary wax crayons are welcome in any color, brand, or size.
Please Donate
- Ordinary wax crayons
- Broken crayon pieces
- Crayon stubs
- Unwanted whole crayons
- Wrapped crayons
- Unwrapped crayons
Please Keep Out
- Oil pastels
- Chalk
- Markers
- Paint sticks
- Wet crayons
- Dirty or moldy crayons
Wrappers are okay. Crayon paper may be removed before donation, but it is not required unless requested by your collection host.
Become a Collection Partner.
Schools, libraries, thrift stores, art programs, community groups, and local businesses can help by hosting a Crayon Recycling Project collection jar.
Collection partners receive printable signs and bag labels explaining what to collect and how the project works. When the container is ready, contact the project organizer to arrange the next step.
Collection partnerships are currently limited to Northern Illinois and nearby participating communities. Additional locations may be added as the project grows.
Suggested fields: name, organization, email, phone, location, participation type, estimated crayon amount, share-back preference, and message.
One Simple Idea, Remade by Hand.
The Crayon Recycling Project began with a simple idea: broken crayons still have something left to give.
By collecting overlooked crayons from homes, thrift stores, and community spaces, the project turns an ordinary discarded object into an opportunity for creativity, environmental education, and sharing. Each batch is sorted and remade by hand with the hope that the finished crayons will inspire even more art than they did the first time around.