Broken Crayons?

By Kathy Knotts

Tired of seeing all those unused broken crayons in the arts and crafts box? Here’s how to recycle them and do some good work at the same time.
    Suzy Provine and the Glen Burnie Civitan Club are collecting those broken bits to send to The Crayon Initiative, which will turn them into new ones. These new crayons will then be put into the hands of children at schools, hospitals, arts programs and other child-focused organizations.
    The Crayon Initiative is the brainchild of California father Bryan Ware, who was eating at a restaurant with his children when he asked a waitress about the fate of used crayons. When she said the trash, he set about finding a way to repurpose them. So far, the Initiative has created 2,000 new boxes.
    Crayons are sorted, melted down and molded by the organization. The new crayons are designed to be easy to hold and less likely to roll off beds or trays. The paper wrapper is gone, too, eliminating the potential for bacterial build up.
    [email protected]; 410-733-3767; thecrayoninitiative.org.