These Upcycled Crayons Are Changing How Kids Experience Hospitals

What happens when used crayons become tools for healing? The Crayon Initiative has transformed over 500,000 pounds of wax into hospital-safe art supplies, bringing creativity, comfort, and color to children in medical care across the U.S.

In this episode of the Conscious Design Podcast, host Ian Peterman speaks with Bryan Ware, the founder behind this purpose-driven nonprofit. What began as a simple question at a restaurant became a nationwide movement powered by sustainable thinking, community action, and compassionate design.

This story goes far beyond crayons. It’s about how thoughtful product reuse and conscious innovation can reduce waste, support healing, and inspire change. If you care about circularity, social impact, and sustainable product development, this episode is for you.

⏩ Jump to your favorite parts:

00:00 - Intro

00:23 - Welcome to the Conscious Design Podcast

01:06 - Meet Brian Ware: Founder of The Crayon Initiative

01:56 - The Crayon Initiative: Transforming Unwanted Crayons

02:56 - Challenges and Innovations in Crayon Recycling

05:09 - The Origin Story: How The Crayon Initiative Began

07:45 - Manufacturing and Supply Chain Insights

16:48 - Future Goals: Expanding Beyond Crayons

18:55 - Designing for Hospitalized Children

23:27 - How to Get Involved and Donate

26:04 - Outro

About Bryan Ware & The Crayon Initiative

Bryan Ware is the founder of The Crayon Initiative, a nonprofit that collects and recycles used crayons to make safe, hospital-friendly art tools for children in medical care. With over 500,000 pounds of crayons diverted from landfills, the project helps reduce waste while bringing therapeutic creativity to kids who need it most.

He is also the founder of WareWorks, a consulting firm specializing in manufacturing, product design, and packaging efficiency

🔗 Connect with Bryan Ware & The Crayon Initiative:

Website: https://thecrayoninitiative.org

WareWorks: https://wareworksgroup.com

LinkedIn (Bryan): https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-ware-8681525/

LinkedIn (The Crayon Initiative): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-crayon-initiative

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrayoninitiative/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecrayoninitiative

Twitter/X: https://x.com/shareyourcolors

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user53090177

Want to turn visionary ideas into market-ready, sustainable products? 👉 https://www.petermanfirm.com/

🤝 Let’s Connect:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cdesignhaus/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@consciousdesign

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-designhaus/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/CDesignHaus

Get the “Conscious Design” book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KNMN9BT Learn more: https://www.consciousdesignhaus.com/

We help creative entrepreneurs integrate social & environmental r