A standard plastic pen takes 1 million years to decompose in a landfill.
That was a sobering thought for me as I consider how to sell the remainder of the plastic pens I made for the SFMOMA ShadowShop show.
EcoVerte has a better alternative.
Our Biodegradable Collection is made from a material called Polylactide (PLA), which is derived from the roots of a potato plant. While it feels and performs similarly to plastic, it has a significant advantage: it is biodegradable and compostable. In about a year, a majority of the components will biodegrade in soil or home compost (Under the following conditions: 133 – 140° F and 80 – 90% humidity).
I have not tried their prodcuts yet but they are recommended by carbonfund.org — let me know your experiences shopping for green office products. I recommend this 100% post-consumer recycled paper from Amazon.com (I have no affiliation with Amazon FYI).
One Comment
I never knew that, and to be honest, I’d never actually considered the plastic in plastic pens – I’ve got at least 4 on my desk at present! Recycled pens is definitely the way forward.