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Paper Mate sent me a few of their new pens and mechanical pencils to try out in honor of Earth Day.  Now while I don’t think that compostable pens are the solution to the world’s problems – I guess I have to give credit to companies for trying to reduce waste and come up with solutions to our overflowing landfills.

The pens work just as well as the normal Paper Mate varieties, I’m a blue ink kind of guy.  They’re also very comfortable, but that comes at the expense of a non-compostable grip.  The ink hasn’t run out yet, but when it does, I’ll throw it in the bottom of my composter and see what happens.  It’s supposed to take a year to break down, but with the generous heat from my food waste-leaves-grass combo, maybe it’ll take less time.

Just don’t forget to break the pen down before composting.  There are many non-compostable parts that still need to be removed (see below).

$1.5 billion in new pens and mechanical pencils were sold in 2000.  That’s a lot of waste!  These new pens are surely just a drop in the bucket, but hey they might just catch on.  If you have a business which hands out or goes through a number of pens, this is a good way to reduce your waste and let your customers know that you care even about the little things.

I’d give Paper Mate an “E” for effort.  Now, about those other hundred million pens and pencils…

Read more on Paper Mate’s Green Efforts below the fold!

The new Paper Mate Biodegradable* products are the latest step in Paper Mate’s ongoing commitment to the environment.  Paper Mate also offers an existing line of products made from recycled sources, and recently introduced an innovative new upcycling program to find new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway writing instruments.

Upcycle with Paper Mate

Paper Mate and sister brands Sharpie® and EXPO®, three of the world’s most recognized writing and marking brands, have partnered with TerraCycle, the pioneering upcycling company that finds new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway items, to create the world’s first program to collect and reuse pens, markers and other writing instruments while also helping raise funds for non-profit organizations, including schools and charities nationwide.

Participants sign up with TerraCycle to set up collection centers called “Writing Instrument Brigades,” the majority of which are located in large corporations and schools where writing instruments are used most.  For every writing instrument collected at a Writing Instrument Brigade collection center, two cents is paid to the non-profit organization of that Brigade’s choice. Overall, the collection efforts will reduce landfill proliferation, educate and inspire consumers to get involved, and provide much needed funding to schools and non-profit groups nationwide.

Full Circle with Recycled

Paper Mate’s new upcycling campaign and Biodegradable products join the brand’s existing green product portfolio, bringing the Paper Mate green offering full-circle. Paper Mate’s existing green products include:

Paper Mate® FlexGrip Ultra® Recycled Ball Point Pen

•             Classic trusted favorite now part of greener choices – made from 70% recycled material

•             Available in ball point pen and mechanical pencil

•             Grip rings near the tip for added control

•             Available in capped or retractable

Paper Mate® Earth Write® Recycled Pencil

•             Made from 100% recycled wood, no new trees are required to produce these environmentally sharp products.

•             100% recycled cedar wood from the USA

•             Sharpens to a fine point

•             Durable, smudge resistant eraser

Paper Mate® Write Bros.® Recycled Ball Point Pen

•             Made from 80% recycled material

•             Same great writing performance as the original

•             Perfect for situations where large pen quantities are needed

Liquid Paper® DryLine® Grip Recycled Correction Film

•             Made from 67% recycled material  Same great tape quality as the traditional DryLine® Grip product

•             Unique shape and grip provide comfort and control

•             Strong tear-proof tape

•             Great for correcting single or multiple lines of text before copying or faxing

•             Applies dry for instant corrections with no mess