Bryan Ware, an inventive dad in San Francisco, has come up with a brilliant way to reuse leftover crayons that get thrown out by restaurants and schools – he melts them down and recycles them into new crayons for children at hospitals.

He came up with the idea in 2011 when celebrating his birthday at a restaurant. His waiter had brought his two sons some crayons, and he wondered where the crayons go after they’re done with them. His discovery that they get thrown out led to the Crayon Initiative, which delivers crayons to hospitals throughout California.

More info: thecrayoninitiative.org | Facebook | Twitter (h/t: themighty)

Every year, up to 75,000 pounds of crayons get thrown away by restaurants and schools

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

Creative dad Bryan Ware found a brilliant solution – he melts them down

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

He then pours them into special custom molds

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

He makes 96 new crayons each time he does this

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

These crayons are thicker and easier to grasp for young children and kids with special needs

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

The finished crayons are delivered to hospitals throughout California

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

They’ve already delivered more than 2,000 boxes

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

“If these crayons give them an escape from that hospital room for ten minutes, we did our job,” said Bryan Ware

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative

Image credits: The Crayon Initiative