Habits of Waste

Our mission is to create collective change and impactful policies, with a focus on waste reduction, for a healthier, more sustainable future. Our original organization crayon collection, now a program of habits of waste, also lives out this commitment to sustainability.

Crayon Collection, Inc. focuses on using the collection and reallocation of crayons to create a social shift from a culture of international wastefulness to a mindful culture within communities that is supportive of teachers and students, art education and the environment. Our model is simple but revolutionary: we ask restaurants and hotels that offer free crayons to children when they dine, along with community-based groups, to collect gently used crayons and then we redistribute them to the neediest of classrooms across the U.S. through our partnership with the National Head Start Association (NHSA) and USA.org. Given that teachers spend an average of $750 out of pocket for basic supplies, our repurposed crayons meet a crucial need for both classroom supplies and art resources, and help redirect millions of indecomposable crayons from landfills. We seek to create an "eco-normal" movement, a new consciousness that is mindful of the environment and nearby communities in need.