About Us

 

Crayons have always been made of paraffin, which is a waxy substance that comes from wood, coal or petroleum. Paraffin was originally produced in 1867, and by the early 1900s, the crayon was the newest innovative artistic tool. The first iteration consisted of black crayons and was sold strictly to factories and manufacturing plants. Europe introduced colored crayons by adding pigments to the paraffin, but due to toxic ingredients, they too were not suitable for children’s use. In 1903, the first box of eight colored crayons for children debuted and has been a hit ever since.

 

Since paraffin is made from petroleum, an oil-based product, every crayon can be fully recycled, and with more than 12 million crayons made in the U.S. every day, 60 tons of petroleum-based wax crayons have the possibility of ending up in landfills despite being so easy to recycle! Since crayons are petroleum products, they become a sludge in our landfills. Waxy sludge does not have to be sitting in landfills around the country for centuries to come.

 

Kullen's Crayon Collection, Inc. collects donated crayons from restaurants, schools and homes across the country, then delivers them to our recycling partners, reducing waste.