Writing Instruments And Single-Use Plastics

[challer61]

The refillable FP is an excellent ecological approach compared to throw away pens and cartridges. In this format, plastic is a sound choice.

[flatline]

The most ecologically friendly strategy is to not purchase any writing instruments at all but instead to use writing instruments that someone else has already purchased (either for advertising purposes or that they lost and you found). This way you don't contribute to demand.

 

But that means you end up having little control over what you write with and, quite frankly, most found pens/pencils are low quality.

 

I have a life-time's supply of both pens and pencils that I have found on the ground. We live next to a school and every time we go for a walk, I end up picking up 2 or 3 working pens/pencils that the kids have dropped in the parking lot or on the sidewalk. I donate the pencils to the nearby elementary school. I donate the pens to the work supply closet so that they don't have to order pens as often (reducing demand a bit?).

 

Wooden pencils are probably the most ecologically friendly writing instrument you can buy. The energy input is minimal, they are shipped in high quantities so that transportation costs are highly dispersed, and the wood, eraser, and metal ferrule degrade fully once in the landfill. They also typically have pretty minimal packaging.

 

Mechanical pencils and lead holders seem like they'd be environmentally friendly, but if you look at the amount of packaging you get when you buy lead refills, it's probably still worse than wooden pencils when you consider the energy inputs and resulting waste.

 

Pens are a bit trickier to consider. Refillable fountain pens are probably pretty good as long as you buy your ink in large quantities so that packaging and shipping inputs is minimized. Buying ink in cartridges is probably worse for the environment than disposable ballpoint pens since you get way more writing out of the ballpoint than you do an ink cartridge (unless the ballpoint fails prematurely...which it probably does).

 

Lots to consider here. It's not an easy problem.

 

--flatline

 

 

[Astronymus]

Don't forget the amount of energy used in aluminium production.

[Paul-in-SF]

Reviving this topic specifically to talk about shipping and packaging. I think too many commercial stationery sellers are still using single-use plastics for shipping where alternatives are available, and we as consumers just accept it. I have no information about quantities, but I almost never use ink cartridges, and I only have one gel pen that uses disposable refills, so in my case at least, I get a lot more plastic as packaging than as pen supplies.

 

If there are any commercial stationers that do a better job than others of omitting single-use plastics from their package, I'd like to know about it so I can favor them with my business (and also let them know the reason why they are getting my business). Please share your positive experiences here. 

[Number99]

In my case, I request that all purchases, not just pen transactions, be packaged with crushed newspaper or other used paper, regardless of the seller's stated intention to reduce its environmental impact.

Most sellers comply with my request.

 

P.S.

Not strictly true, I don't do that when I'm not shopping for myself, such as gifts...

😅

It would be nice if it becomes more common to use recycled materials for gift wrapping and packaging.

Edited February 19, 2025 by Number99

[mr T.]

20 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

Reviving this topic specifically to talk about shipping and packaging. I think too many commercial stationery sellers are still using single-use plastics for shipping where alternatives are available, and we as consumers just accept it. 

There is also something else consumers 'just accept': the box that comes (as standard) with the pen. Even with the most expensive pens, in my opinion, gift boxes should only be offered at the request of the consumer (and seperately be paid for). 

[lectraplayer]

Although I haven't written with the really nice pens, so much as the boilerplate Jinhao, Moonman, Pilot, and Platinum class pens, but usually the "gift box" is still essentially a bubble pack based thing, even if it's made to feel iPhone premium and made of cardboard, and it usually doubles as the shipping container to protect the pen, though I have gotten a number of knockoff pens from Amazon that just come in a condom, and I haven't had one get busted yet, though I bet it does happen. 

On 2/19/2025 at 2:23 PM, mr T. said:

There is also something else consumers 'just accept': the box that comes (as standard) with the pen. Even with the most expensive pens, in my opinion, gift boxes should only be offered at the request of the consumer (and seperately be paid for).