Crayola ColorCycle: Recycling Used Markers
You can send your used markers in to be re-purposed, thanks to Crayola ColorCycle!
It’s that time of year again! It is almost mid-August, which means you have probably been back to school shopping at least once. Or, maybe you have quickly changed the TV channel as you see a back to school commercial come on. Both scenarios are perfectly fine; I think we can all agree that this Summer has simply flown by.
As you prepare to send your children back to school, it’s time to organize their school supplies. You gather the duo-tangs, fresh paper, and the new sets of pencils. You check the list five times to make sure you have everything.
Let’s face it, going back to school shopping can be expensive. You want to save even a little bit of money, so you check to see if any of last year’s supplies are reusable. That’s when you come across the markers that were the tools needed for many memorable Summer activities. As you reminisce about Summer moments, you realize you’ll have to get more markers- but what can you do with the used ones?
Can Markers Be Recycled?
Many people don’t even think about it, and they simply throw old markers in the garbage. Or, they look into the regulations concerning recycling them, and find that it’s possible, but it can also be messy:
“Crayola markers are made from #5 polypropylene, a recyclable material. The cap can be recycled at recycling facilities that accept #5 plastic. The marker barrel is also made from #5 polypropylene. The marker tip and ink reservoir are not recyclable at this time and would have to be removed before recycling the barrel. Consumers can check with their local recycling center and see if they accept #5 plastic. If so, consumers can recycle the marker cap and the barrel, after removing the tip and reservoir.” – via Crayola.ca
Think of how many markers just one child goes through during a school year. Now think about the total amount of students in grades K-12 who have access to markers. Not to mention, the number of toddlers who also use markers at home before they even reach the age to attend school. That’s a LOT of markers being disposed of, and most likely, they will end up in a landfill.
Crayola ColorCycle
While Crayola ColorCycle is beginning to get more attention, the initiative itself has been around since 2013. Students in California had formed a petition for Crayola to be more environmentally aware, and while it may not have been exact cause and effect, ColorCycle eventually came to be.
How does it work?
Simply collect used markers (they don’t have to be the Crayola brand), count them, pack them, and print out a shipping label. FedEx Ground will pick up the box and your work is now done!
It needs to be mentioned that for now, a household or daycare is unable to send in their markers. It must be done through a participating school, so in those circumstances, markers would need to be dropped off.
The program is being run throughout the United States and many parts of Canada, but there are exceptions. Please refer to this list and check to see if your postal code is listed so you can participate.
It seems like a great initiative, but…
what happens to the markers once they are collected? I checked their FAQ section, and read about their other Green Initiatives. I couldn’t find much information on the official Crayola websites.
Therefore, I did a bit of digging and saw that back in 2013, not everyone was entirely thrilled with how the markers were being re-purposed. Many of the articles revolved around the partnership Crayola had with JBI:
“Markers will be sent to JBI, where they will be used as feedstock to produce diesel and other liquid fuels using JBI’s Plastic2Oil® (“P2O”) process.”
However, according to the response EnergyJustice.net received from Crayola, they are no longer working with JBI. When questioned about whether the partnership ended due to JBI’s “questionable reputation”, Crayola responded with,
“No. JBI Inc. had the appropriate technology to pilot the launch of our ColorCycle program, but our intention has always been to continue to look for innovative and emerging technologies in this area to broaden the ColorCycle program and how our markers are re-purposed.”
(EnergyJustice.net called Crayola in August 2017, to get information about the ColorCyle program- more can be read here.)
In the end,
it’s up to you to decide whether or not you believe Crayola’s methods are beneficial to the environment. There are also other programs you can use, depending on where you live, if you want to look at all of your options.
In 2013, Michael Fagan, a fellow blogger wrote, “I’m glad Crayola decided to respond positively to this request, but I urge them not to think of this program as the final answer. Redesigning the product is a much more complex change than adding a disposal program, but is the better option, especially in the long run.”
I agree with Mr Fagan when he states that redesign is essential. Although, now in 2018, (I am also not 100% sure about the order of events), Crayola does offer many more green products.
I am ecstatic that any company cares enough to at least attempt doing something good for the planet. Especially, when they mass produce items, like Crayola does with markers. We must encourage steps in the right direction such as these, even if it takes a bit of trial and error to find the best solution in the end.
Would you take part in the Crayola ColorCycle Initiative if it were held at your child’s school? Do you want to your school to participate? You can start the process now, by clicking here.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this initiative! I’d love to hear from you!