Broken Crayons Find New Life

I love the spirit of local non-profit organizations and all they look to accomplish within the community.  And it is awe inspiring when the creator of the non-profit is a kid.  Abby Neff, age 16 started Recycled Rainbows 3 years ago in Sioux Falls with the purpose of melting down old crayons, giving them new life in homemade shaped crayons and distributing them as a way to "provide artistic opportunities to the community and fill the gap of offering art to those with limited resources."

Abby collects old crayons which then go through the process of being sanitized, peeled, sorted, melted, poured, reshaped and put back into the community.  Her reshaped crayons have actually spread beyond Sioux Falls in 46 states and in Africa and India!

It is not just the crayons that are molding and reshaping, Recycled Rainbows continues to grow and change.  Abby says that she now offers presentations to kids at schools about recycling and sharing about her mission.

As we move towards the end of the school year, there will be many broken and used crayons that end up in the garbage at school or after they are brought home.  Will you consider donating your used crayons to Recycled Rainbows instead of the garbage this year?

All styles/brands and sizes of crayons are accepted!  It is a bonus to Abby if they have been peeled because it saves time, but is not necessary.  You can drop off your collected crayons at the Minnehaha 4H SDSU Extension Office at 2001 E 8th Street in Sioux Falls.  They are open Monday through Friday 8 AM - 5 PM.

If kids want to talk to their school or service groups about collecting crayons, Abby is willing to create a collection box or kids are encouraged to decorate and create their own collection box.

Earth Day (4/22) and the end of the school year are great opportunities to get kids involved in recycling and supporting Recycled Rainbows. Abby is thankful for her family and the community for their support.