Crayon Collection

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: to collect as many crayons as possible and donate them to kids in need. Billions of crayons are produced in the U.S. each year, and much of that ends up in our landfills. These petroleum-derived crayons can take years - even decades- to decompose. Meanwhile, U.S. teachers in underfunded public schools are spending an average of $750 of their own income per year on supplies for their classrooms.

Our solution - pairing participating Crayon Collection restaurant chains, such as California Pizza Kitchen and Islands Restaurants, with local high-poverty Title1 schools. These recipient schools pick up the restaurants' gently-used crayons every month to augment the supplies they need in their classrooms. Preschools and elementary schools throughout the country also hold crayon drives and donate to nearby schools in need, which teaches invaluable lessons to our youth about eco-mindedness.