According to Treehugger, beloved crayons that children doodle with (and sometimes chew on) are unfortunately made from paraffin wax mixed with various chemical pigments. Derived from petroleum, paraffin wax crayons are said to take years, even decades to decompose in a landfill.
Presenting a sustainable and safe alternative is Japanese designer Naoko Kimura of mizuiro inc.. As a mother, Kimura was concerned for her young daughter’s health. “Whenever children take an interest in something, they put it in their mouth. So why do crayons, something so close to most children, not seem all that safe?” asks Kimura.
After being unable to find a brand of crayons that we deemed suitable, Kimura decided to create her own crayons made from vegetables.
Initially, the vegetable crayons were intended to just be a kid-friendly product but evolved into becoming eco-friendly and zero waste. Because the primary focus was the wellbeing of children, emphasis was placed on ensuring that the vegetable crayons would help teach about nature and ultimately, contribute to realizing a world that kids could prosper in.
Ingredients for the vegetable crayons are waste materials sourced from Aomori Prefecture’s agricultural industry. The base of the vegetable crayons are solid rice bran wax and liquid rice bran oil, both by-products of the rice polishing process. The colouring comes from crushed vegetable power and safe-certified food coloring.
More specifically, when it comes to the crushed vegetable power for colouring, imperfect produce from grocery stores and left over food materials are utilized. For example, outer cabbage leaves that would otherwise be thrown out or composted are used for a green colour, while skins produced during the manufacturing of dehydrated apple chips are used for a red colour.
“Within these small crayons lie an experiment in creating a sustainable society that coexists with nature,” says Kimura. “They also reflect a parent’s hope that the world we leave behind for our kids is one we can be proud of.”
Kimura’s vegetable crayons are currently available for purchase on Kickstarter.
All images in this article are courtesy of Naoko Kimura.
