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The process of recycling crayons involves several meticulous steps, predominantly powered by a passionate volunteer workforce that ranges from 500 to 700 volunteers each month. First, the crayon collection team weighs the crayons to monitor how much waste they’ve diverted from landfills. Next, they sort the crayons by color, making sure the reprocessed crayons will have the vibrant hues children love.
Once sorted, the crayons are melted down in large pots, with care taken to strain out the paper wrappers—these can harbor bacteria and are unnecessary for the final product. The melted, pure wax is then poured into specially designed molds to create new crayons, often in unique shapes that are easier for small children to hold.