Crayola launched the ColorCycle initiative in 2013 to take advantage of discarded markers, and this year, LHS participated in the program. 

ColorCycle is a program where teachers across the nation set up stations to collect used markers. Science teacher Lisa Ball started the initiative at Lawrence High. 

“I was able to find the program because I’m a part of an online community of teachers that teach AP Environmental Science, and it was circulating on there,” Ball said.

 To recycle markers, visit the collection bucket in room 218 or in the teacher workroom located in the main office. ColorCycle uses a process to convert markers to energy, and the process repurposes the entire marker, no matter what type. This way, less plastic waste is dumped into the environment.

“It feels great just to know that something that you use regularly can be recycled,” Ball said. “I feel guilty a lot of times for using plastic products, but there isn’t really a good alternative to Dry Erase markers, so at least if I can’t stop using plastic markers, they won’t end up in the ocean circling the globe.”