Another small way you can help the earth: biodegradable pens and pencils

At my environmental consulting company, we have implemented many measures to reduce our environmental footprint: low-VOC paint; carpet made with recycled materials; durable plates, cups, and silverware to relace paper and plastic; contracts with companies that have environmental policies; active recycling programs for paper, toner, and other supplies; and use of recycled paper. When we do have large gatherings, we use biodegradable silverware made of corn. It's flimsier than plastic but will biodegrade in the landfill. I'm always looking for easy ways to implement greener practices in my life, especially ones that won't cost me a lot of extra money.

Given the amount of writing and drawing I do in my life at home and work, I was interested to learn that Paper Mate has come out with a line of biodegradable pens and pencils.




The really cool thing about this line is that after you use the pens and pencils, you can plant them in the ground (all except for the ink well, which needs to be removed), and nearly all of the materials will biodegrade within a year! This video shows how it works:




Very cool! And they are not expensive, either (a big plus for me)! I've started using these pens and pencils, and when they are done, I look forward to planting them in the ground or compost with the kids, and explaining to them all about biodegradation. I also plan to pass along the word at work, so that my company can consider adding these pens and pencils to the supply room.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Paper Mate and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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