I’m Darin Olien, the “Superfood Hunter.” If you’re looking for motivation to take the next step towards a happier, healthier life then you’re in the right place. On this podcast, you’ll hear honest conversations with extraordinary people that educate and inspire me. We cover everything from nutrition and mental health to sustainable ways of living. We also dive into life's Fatal Conveniences™. These are the things that we're doing or consuming in our day-to-day life that may actually be harming us, or the Earth.
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episode 55: Fatal Conveniences™: Crayons: Safe or Toxic?
Everyone has fond childhood memories revolving around crayons. These colorful waxy sticks represent hours of creative fun. I was an avid coloring book fan, and I can’t even tell you how many boxes of crayons I went through as a kid. No one wants to have these cherished memories tainted, but are crayons safe or toxic? And what are they doing to our planet?
Welcome to Fatal Conveniences™This is a bite-sized segment that parallels The Darin Olien Show. In these segments, we get into society's Fatal Conveniences™. I define these as the things we may be doing because the world we live in makes us believe we have to. These things save us time and trick us into thinking they're actually good for us. But it's those same things that are breaking down our health, and the health of the environment around us.
I've spent most of my adult life obsessively researching these "conveniences." On every show, I pick one topic, and we dive into it. My goal is to make you more aware of these traps so that you can push back on them. Remember, it starts with you and the choices you make.
So, if you're willing to look at your world from a different perspective and make little tweaks that amount to big changes, then this segment is for you.
Between 45,000 and 75,000 lbs of broken crayons are discarded in US landfills every year.
This one is tough for me, because I really don’t want to bash crayons. I love crayons! We all did. And I’m sure if you have kids, you have multiple boxes of these colorful things all over the house. So I’ll just cut to the chase. Crayons consist of paraffin, which is a petroleum, crude oil by-product. And lab tests show some crayon brands are full of toxins like lead and even asbestos.
In this segment, I break down the uncomfortable truths about this kid-favorite drawing tool. It’s not just our kids we need to worry about. Unfortunately, these things are ending up in our landfills and waterways. But it’s not all bad news. Some brands are safer than others. Like most things, the cheaper it is, the more toxic it probably is. Thankfully, there are plenty of environmentally friendly, safe alternatives. And I’ll be sure to give you plenty of resources to find those as well. So don’t worry guys, you don’t have to hide those coloring books. Let’s just make a conscious effort to be aware of what’s in our kids’ favorite crafting supplies.
Other info in this segment:
- The history of Crayons
- The history of Crayola
- Why are these toxins allowed in kid products?
- Crayons and the planet
- Safe alternatives
Links & Resources:
Major Brands of Crayons Contain Asbestos
Warning After Asbestos Found in Crayons
Toys R’ Us and Other Retailers Remove Crayons
The Efforts Crayola is Making to Improve
Crazy Crayons - The National Crayon Recycling Program
Eco-Friendly Crayons?
The Best Non-Toxic Crayons for Your Kids
Netflix’ Down To Earth’ Official Trailer
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