So, you just read the title of this post and you are utterly confused. Why on Earth would you plant a pen? An ink pen? I thought the same thing when I was asked to participate in the PaperMate Plant-A-Pen blog tour. I guess I never really thought of what happens to pens and mechanical pencils after we throw them away, but it must be quite a mass of writing instruments!
PaperMate is doing it’s part to help the environment by coming out with a line of biodegradable products. The line includes a pen and a mechanical pencil made up of corn based products. The entire refill holder and the majority of the pen and pencil components will biodegrade in approximately one year when buried in soil or compost.
I thought this would be a great way to teach my girls about the little things we can do to help the environment! Following the the instructions on the package, we disassembled the pen and threw away the inside parts. I took them into the yard and we buried the outer casing while I talked to them about what it means to recycle. They had a great time doing the outdoor activity!
If you are starting your back to school shopping, take a moment to consider the environment and try the new Paper Mate biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils!