Dixon Ticonderoga Responds to Marker Recycling Campaign Led by Land Wilson

By Corinne Ball, Deputy Campaign Director at Change.org

This month, the students of Sun Valley Elementary School's "Kids Who Care" program made an unexpected change in the world when a major art supply company responded to a petition the kids launched on Change.org.

Led by Land Wilson, author of Sofia’s Dream, the students learned about plastic pollution and crafted a campaign asking one of their favorite companies to do something great for the environment. In a video message, the Kids Who Care asked Crayola to "make its mark" and become a leader in plastic marker recycling by creating a way for consumers and schools to recycle the company's iconic plastic markers.

More than 80,000 people across the country signed their petition — including celebrities like Robin Williams. 

Their efforts also caught the attention of Timothy Gomez, the CEO of Dixon Ticonderoga, whose company went on to announce a major, groundbreaking recycling program. The new initiative creates a way to recycle the company's line of Prang Art Markers, and allows schools to join a program to mail markers — free of charge — back to Dixon Ticonderoga for recycling. 

In a company press release, Gomez said, "this shows that even one classroom can change the way a global company does business." Under his leadership, Dixon Ticonderoga announced a new global initiative to recycle the millions of Prang Art Markers the company produces every year. 

The "Kids Who Care" is a project of Sun Valley School's "Green Team." Children from kindergarten to fifth grade come together once a week during the school year to learn about environmental issues and take action. 

"We didn't expect to get this much attention," said Wilson. "It's taken us all by surprise. But after learning how many plastic products end up in landfills, incinerators, and our oceans, these students decided to take action and ask this major international company to help. I am so proud of what these students have done." 

Every day, kids are using Change.org to change the world. Using Change.org, the world's fastest growing social change platform, anyone can do what these amazing students have done.

Now, because of the "Kids Who Care," millions of markers can now be recycled every year. Watch a video message from the students to Crayola and sign their petition to support their campaign.

Image Credit: prangpower.com