For most people, when their disposable pens run out of ink they simply chuck them into a trash can and buy another. Rarely does the thought of recycling old pens cross their minds.

But is it possible and practical to recycle pens?

Your old writing instruments don’t have to end up with the millions of others in landfills—they can be turned into functional objects through recycling.

Why You Should Actually Recycle Pens

Preferred because they are cheap and widely available, disposable pens pose their own risk to the environment.

The biggest disadvantage of disposable pens is that they are made of plastic, which is a byproduct of petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

With millions of plastic pens being made every year, their production contributes to resource depletion.

And unfortunately, the type of plastic used for cheap pen bodies (polystyrene) is not easily recyclable, thus adding to the problem of plastic waste. The effort and cost required to recycle polystyrene is quite steep so it is often avoided altogether.

With 1.6 billion pens being dumped in landfills every year in the US alone, this worsens the plastic waste problem.

Another problem lies in the ink. Some pens use inks with toxic ingredients. Improper disposal of such pens leads to these toxins leaching into soil and water, causing pollution and harm to wildlife.

Helpful Tip: How to Remove Ballpoint Ink Stains

What Parts of a Pen Can Be Recycled?

Not all parts of disposable pens can be easily recycled. The mix of materials and small size of the pens makes the process a bit tricky.

This means that all these parts will need to be disassembled in order to recycle them properly.

Let’s look at the different parts of disposable pens and their recyclability.

Clips, Tips, and Springs

If the clip, tip, or spring are made of steel, aluminum, or tin, they are recyclable.

Just pry the parts off from the plastic barrel and throw in your local recycling.

Generally, these parts are steel or aluminum. The only thing to look out for is the metal ball in the tip. This can be tungsten carbide, which is recyclable, but in a larger size since the ball is so small.

Best to separate this from the metal tip if possible.

Plastic Barrel

As we saw earlier, most cheap disposable pen bodies are made of polystyrene, a plastic that’s difficult to recycle industrially.

Some recycling programs accept plastic pens, while others don’t because of the type of plastic used.

Cartridges and Refills

Ink refills aren’t always recyclable because of the materials used in the ink.

But often the cartridges can be. For example, many fountain pen ink cartridges are made of polythene which is recyclable.

Check the packaging of your refill. If it has the recycle symbol or says PE, you are good to go.

How to Recycle Pens

When it comes to recycling pens, there are two ways to go about it.

1. Drop Off Method

   This involves taking old pens to designated facilities where they’re collected en masse for recycling.

2. Taking Apart the Pieces Individually

   Users take the pen apart and recycle the individual parts.

Let’s look in-depth at how each of these methods work.

A Step by Step Guide

The Drop Off Method

When you drop off pens at a local store or facility that participates in pen recycling programs, the pens are accumulated then shipped off to recycling plants for sorting and processing.

BIC’s Terracycle program, for example, provides an avenue for recycling pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters, and other writing instruments.

You can drop off old pens at their designated stations, where they are collected and sent to TerraCycle Material Recovery Facilities.

Or!

Staples also has a recycling program that includes a rewards program for your recycled goods.

Just take the items to Staples, and turn them into the Customer Service Desk.

After the pens are recycled, they are sold to manufacturing companies who turn them into products such as watering cans, storage containers, outdoor furniture, floor tiles, and more.

Such programs take the pressure of getting used pens to recycling centers off consumers and increase the efficiency of recycling processes.

The Take Apart Method

Another option is taking apart the pen to recycle individual pieces.

As mentioned above, this will require some work to separate the pieces and determine what can be recycled and what cannot.

Repurposing Your Old Pens

From making household objects like pen holders to creating art pieces, there’s no shortage of uses for old pens.

For those numerous disposable pens you have lying around your home or office, you can take inspiration from Costas Schuler, popularly known as Pen Guy Art.

He covered his Mercedes in over 10,000 discarded pens from all over the world.

For smaller everyday items, try turning your pens into a pen holder. Using glue, stick several pens (with their caps on) onto a plastic cup. You’ll have a unique stationery holder and an organized desk in no time.

Sustainable Pen Options

You might not be able to recycle pens on your own, but there are still options to help you introduce sustainability into your writing. These include:

• Reusable pens
• Biodegradable pens
• Pens made with recycled materials

By switching to eco-friendly pens, you’ll help to reduce plastic waste generation, minimize the strain on non-renewable resources, and support sustainable product innovation.

The Joys of a Reusable Pen

Beyond functionality, reusable pens bring delight to users in several ways:

• Cost-Effectiveness
• Aesthetic Appeal
• Sentimental Value
• Environmental Impact
• Sense of Community

Reusable pens are pens that allow the ink to be replaced inside the pen with a new refill.

Find Your Personalized Reusable Pen

Biodegradable Pens to Reduce Waste

Biodegradable pens are made of materials that are designed to break down in the environment naturally over time through biological processes.

The main components of biodegradable pens are:

• Biodegradable inks: These inks are easily broken down by microorganisms in the environment.
• Biodegradable plastics: These are materials that are similar to regular plastic but made of ingredients from renewable biomass, such as cornstarch, vegetable oils, straw, and recycled food waste.
• Compostable parts: Some reusable pens are labeled as compostable, meaning they turn into compost as they break down into organic matter.

Types of Biodegradable Pens

There are several kinds of biodegradable pens in the market, including:

Wheat straw pens

Wheat straw is a material made by combining lignin from wheat stems with sugar. This straw is fully biodegradable, and can also be melted into a pulp to create new products.

It is safe for home composting, so once your pen runs out of ink you can bury it in your kitchen garden or back yard.

TRY A WOOD PEN

Bamboo pens

Made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, these pens are a great alternative to conventional plastic ones.

Cornstarch pens

Cornstarch is a type of bioplastic called Polylactic acid (PLA) made from corn kernels. Under the right conditions, cornstarch can be composted and returned to the soil to enrich it with nutrients.

Recycled paper pens

Recycled paper materials used to make eco-friendly pens include cardboard and paper pulp. These pens decompose naturally and can also be turned into compost.

Plantable pens

These pens contain seeds surrounded by starch at the tail end of the barrel. When your pen runs out of ink, stick it into a pot of soil and water it as you would a plant.

After a few days, you’ll see a sprout emerging from the soil after the starch dissolves.

Herbs, wildflowers, and veggies like tomatoes are some of the plants you can grow from such pens.

Interested in plantable pens? Brands such as Purple & Pure, Bold Box, and Plencils stock a variety of these unique writing instruments.

Pens Made with Recycled Materials

Making pens out of recycled materials reduces the demand for new resources in manufacturing, and helps to divert waste from landfills.

The main materials that can be recycled to make pens are paper, plastic, and metal.

Paper: Cardboard, newspapers and paper pulp are used to make the barrels and packaging.

Plastic: Manufacturers use post-consumer or post-industrial plastic like bottles and containers to make pen components. BIC’s ReVolution pens, for example, are made of 73% recycled plastic.

Metal: Scrap or reclaimed metal is used to make pen clips or tips.

Pens made with recycled materials help to support a circular economy by incorporating sustainable practices in the production process and close the loop on the use of materials.

Conclusion

The world of pens is evolving to embrace sustainability through eco-friendly options like reusable and biodegradable pens. These solutions help consumers to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize plastic waste.

Although recycling disposable pens is an important part of reducing plastic waste, it is not without its challenges.

Unsuitable plastics, the complexity of separating pen parts, and the scarcity of pen recycling infrastructure limit the effectiveness of recycling, making the process difficult for companies to execute.

These same challenges, however, leave room for innovation in the field. Institutions and individuals can partner with recycling facilities in take-back programs for disposable pens. Also, manufacturers continue to explore new sustainable materials for pens.

All these efforts combined are helping to create a more eco-friendly writing landscape.

Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.