How to Recycle Crayons

crayons for recycling
CC Flickr photo of crayons courtesy of laffy4k.

Can you recycle crayons?

If you’ve got kids then you’re almost guaranteed to have a bunch of old crayon stubs in a whole variety of colors. From the moment your child was able to grasp a crayon in his or her hands along with all those free restaurant crayons which your child has flatly refused to leave behind on the dining table.

Well, rather than allowing them to fester in a drawer somewhere or be thrown in the trash, why not get the kids to turn them into some fun to make and environmentally friendly gifts.

Can Crayons be recycled?

Most definitely! Old crayon stubs can be turned into fun and exciting new shapes which your child can either use themselves or give away as presents. Not only does it mean you can spend some quality parent and child time, but you child can also have the satisfaction of seeing something which they themselves have created. And you’re giving them a valuable lesson in recycling along the way.

What are the possibilities for recycled crayons?

Recycling crayons is simple. All it takes is some old cups in which to melt the crayons, a spoon, microwave or oven and some soap or cake moulds. Cut the crayons into old pieces and place in the cups. Place in the microwave and heat until the crayons have melted. Then pour the liquid crayon into the moulds and allow to set. This doesn’t take long at all, just a matter of minutes which is great when working with impatient kids! Pop them out of the moulds and voila! You have brand new crayons.

These can be wrapped in pretty packaging and given to relatives and friends as great, homemade gifts.

Another option if you don’t want to do this is to send the crayon stubs off to The National Crayon Recycle Program. Here your old crayons will be turned into new ones, so ensuring nothing of the crayon is wasted. You can check out their contact details here – www.crazycrayons.com

But what about the resources used in the crayon recycling process?

The small amount of electricity used in order to melt the crayons is nothing compared to the cost of putting them into landfill. Plus you have the added bonus of knowing that every part of the crayon is being recycled, and that nothing is going to waste.

Other Crayon Recycling Resources

About.com Frugal Living has a great page about how to recycle crayons yourself as an arts and crafts project.

There’s also a 3 minute video on YouTube covering the same subject.

Recycling Revolution has the address where you can send crayons to be recycled.

Did we miss anything? Leave a comment and let us know, so we can continue to improve this page.