This month we are focusing on the end of the school year and what to do to keep the kids in your life busy and how to manage some of the materials that may be associated with the transition from the school year to summer. This week’s project does both! Broken crayons can be used to make a variety of projects. A quick search on Google or Pinterest will produce a plethora of projects to use up all of those broken crayons you aren’t sure what to do with.

1. One of the easiest is to place a liner in a muffin tin, put pieces of broken crayon in, and melt in the oven. You can create new crayons in a variety of rainbow hues. If you have other molds, you can make a variety of shapes too. 
2. You can also heat smooth or flat rocks in the oven (or in the sun on a really hot day) and melt the broken crayons on the rocks to make interesting patterns.
3. Crayons can also be used to make candles, colored lip balms, to color play dough or salt dough, and so much more. The possibilities are endless. You can keep crayons out of the landfill and create something beautiful, while keeping a child in your life (or yourself!) entertained.

Have a bunch of broken crayons left over after doing a craft? You can recycle crayons through the National Crayon Recycle Program. Check out their website for all of the details: https://nationalcrayonrecycleprogram.org/. The program is free, but you must pay shipping. All of the crayons received are recycled into new crayons and provided to children in need.

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of the school year already and we are quickly approaching summer. Whether or not you have school age kids, you may have some school or office supplies you are wondering what to do with.

Remember that reuse always comes before recycling, so any items or materials that are in good condition should be saved for future use or donated.

Folders (paper only, no plastic), notebooks (any spiral bindings should be removed and discarded in the trash), books (any hardcover books should have covers removed and discarded in the trash), and papers (all colors) can be recycled with your household recycling.

For those hard to recycle items that aren’t accepted with your household recycling, there are actually programs that can earn you rewards to recycling.

At Staples you can earn rewards for recycling certain items. These rewards can be used in store or donated to a teacher, classroom, or school. To participate you just need to download the free Staples Connect app. Store employees are happy to assist with getting you set up. See the full list of items that can be recycled here. The list includes some electronics/tech items, including but not limited to phones, tablets, laptops, CD/DVD/Blu-ray discs & players, coffee brewers (less than 40 lb.), and speakers. You can also recycle printer cartridges, batteries (including single-use alkaline!), writing tools (pens, makers, etc.), and phone & tablet cases. For full details about the program, click here.

TerraCycle has resources to make your school a recycling hub. They recycle many materials that you can’t dispose of with your household recycling. They have both paid and free programs. They have resources to help your school get started with a program and offer rewards for participating schools. Click here for all the details.

This Memorial Day you may find that the stars and stripes you display each year are looking a little past their prime. It is disrespectful to our country and our military to display or fly a tattered American flag. But would should you do with your flag that’s ready for retirement? If your flag cannot be repaired it should be taken to a U.S. flag drop off location. According to the United States Code, U.S flags should be disposed of in a dignified way, not in the garbage. They represent those who worked, fought, and sacrificed their lives for our rights and freedoms and should be treated with respect.

What can you do with your flag that is ready for retirement?

• Drop off at the Ontario County Municipal Building at 20 Ontario Street, Canandaigua NY 14424
• Take your flag to your local American Legion or VFW post. They will be happy to retire your flags in their next disposal ceremony.
• Contact your local Boy Scout Troop to see if they accept flags for retirement.
• Home Depot locations accept flags for respectful disposal.

Flags that are still usable can be donated to cemeteries and funeral homes for reuse.