Who invented the crayon?

Crayola did not invent the crayon. Records show that Europe was the birthplace of the ​“modern” crayon. The first crayons were made from a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the sticks sturdier and easier to handle. Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith in 1902 and first offered for sale in 1903. Alice (Stead) Binney, a school teacher and wife of co-founder Edwin Binney, suggested the company manufacture an inexpensive alternative to imported crayons of that era. The trade name Crayola was coined by Mrs. Edwin Binney who joined the French word ​“craie,” meaning stick of chalk and ​“ola” from the word ​“oleaginous,” meaning oily. Crayola Crayons are made primarily from paraffin wax and colour pigment. The Crayola brand celebrated its 100th anniversary during 2003 and today we manufacture over 3 billion crayons each year.
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Popular Questions

While the marker barrel and cap are recyclable, not all parts of the marker are. Because the marker components are securely sealed during the manufacturing process, we don’t recommend trying to remove the marker nib and reservoir. The marker caps can be recycled at facilities that accept #5 plastic. 

Crayola offers an innovative program called ColorCycle that converts old markers into energy as well as wax compounds for asphalt and roofing shingles. The process repurposes the entire marker, regardless of the different kinds of plastics or how they are assembled. You can learn more about this program and all of Crayola’s other environmental initiatives at www​.cray​ola​.com/​c​o​l​o​r​cycle.

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All CRAYOLA Crayons are made from paraffin wax and colour pigment. The crayons vary slightly in weight due to the amount of colour pigment added to produce a particular colour as well as the density of the powder pigment itself. Certain colour pigments are very light while other pigments are very dense. It would not be accurate, however, to say that all dark crayons are heavier than other colours. You can test this by doing an experiment to see which Crayola Crayons float and which will sink. For information on other science experiments, be sure to visit http://www.crayola.com/colourcensus/science/index.cfm”>http://www.crayola.com/colourcensus/science/index.cfm.
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It is difficult to provide an exact shelf life for Crayola products because it depends on how and where they have been stored. Our products are generally tested on the basis of how they are used, rather than how long they have remained unused. We stand behind the Crayola brand name and will work to take care of any quality issue you may encounter. If you have any further questions, please call (800) 272‑9652 weekdays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Eastern Time and a representative will be happy to assist you.

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With the health and safety of our community in mind, the Crayola Canada 2022 Annual United Way Sale has been canceled. Crayola Canada continues to develop alternatives to support the United Way. 

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Crayola products are typically sold through a network of distributors and retail stores. For information on direct purchasing requirements in Canada, please check out our Wholesale Purchasing page. 

To export products internationally, please contact the appropriate international office for assistance.

Crayola does not authorize resellers in any online marketplace.

If you have additional questions, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to call or text us at 1−800−272−9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time. If you would prefer to send us an email, visit our contact uspage.

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Crayola® Play Sand is an official licensed product manufactured by Covia Holdings Corporation. Covia Holdings Corporation is equipped to handle your requests and may be contacted as follows:

Covia Holdings Corporation (formerly Mineral Visions)
400 Riverview Drive 
Suite 302 
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Customer Service email address: customerservice@​coviacorp.​com
Customer Service phone:1 – 800-255‑7263 ext 39230
Weekdays: 9:00 am — 4:00 pm EST

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Crayola Crayons are made primarily from paraffin wax and colour pigment. Paraffin wax is made especially for Crayola by companies who extract it from products like wood and coal. Pigments come from various sources. They can be natural or man made substances. Pigments can be found in the earth, minerals and/​or made in laboratories. These raw materials are purchased from outside suppliers and are stored in our warehouse awaiting production. All of our raw materials are delivered by truck with the exception of paraffin wax, which is delivered in railroad cars. Further information is considered proprietary. If you need more information, please call us at (800) 272‑9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time. A representative will be happy to assist you.
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