The Crayon Initiative organizes crayon collections that take unwanted crayons, re-manufactures them, and provides them to hospitals that are caring for our kids. Hospital arts’ programs provide in-hospital entertainment and learning programs. 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. Childrens’ arts programs also enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and promote creativity and imagination. Children can escape into a world of fantasy penned by their own imagination just by using crayons.
The wax from crayons is not biodegradable and will never break down, leaving a waxy sludge in our landfills for centuries to come. The Crayon Initiative supports environmental efforts by diverting crayons from the landfills. Annually, over 500,000 pounds of broken crayons are discarded in landfills throughout the country. By collecting unwanted crayons from restaurants, schools, as well as other locations, and recycling them into new ones, The Crayon Initiative is doing our part to prevent crayons from depositing in the landfill. Visit http://thecrayoninitiative.org/ for more information.
