West End Elementary School students and staff recently collected 867 used markers to donate to Crayola ColorCycle, a program that repurposes used markers rather than sending them to landfills. Since 2013, Crayola ColorCycle has repurposed more than 70 tons of expended markers in the United States and Canada.

Coordinated by West End teacher Laura Greene and her third grade class, the school community donated used washable, permanent, white board and highlighter markers to the program. With these donations, Crayola ColorCycle will use plastic conversion technologies to make wax compounds for asphalt and roofing shingles and to generate electricity that can be used to heat homes, cook food and power vehicles. 

It was the first year that Mrs. Greene initiated the program at the school with the hope of teaching her students, as well as others, the importance of being eco-friendly. 

“It was important for me to teach the students that they need to take care of the environment for future generations,” she said.