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I always have reservations about plastic recycling. Does recycling pens produce horrible toxic waste and fumes? Probably. How much of a consideration is that in the recycling decision?

I spent years working in a government position where we had no options about pen purchasing -- they had to come from one particular agency, and of course we had no input into how they were made.

At home, I'd have to keep up with a pen in order to recycle it. They seem to go into the same vortex with my scissors.

i think about every minute detail. i feel like if i go the extra extra effort because i have the capacity to care so much, that maybe i'm making up for someone who doesn't give a crap.

I can't remember the last time I threw away a pen. 95% of my work is on the computer. That being said, I have not recycled them in the past. But I never knew you could take them to an office supply store for recycling. Does this include the big box places like Staples?

I keep losing pens all the time, sp I don't really know what happens to them....

You know, the great thing about pieces like this are that they get one to thinking about small differences.

I wonder if one bought a great fountain pen (like a Montblanc) if one would take better care than most of us (meaning ME) do with our cheap random pens. I used a fountain pen for a long time (NOT a Montblanc) because I had hand pain that made using a ball point or pencil difficult. I was able to go back to regular pens eventually, but I didn't lose the fountain pen. I guess it was just special enough. Worth a try to go back to it.

I troll the halls of the high school I work in looking for orphaned pencils and pens which I recycle by passing them out to kids who didn't bring their materials to class. No I don't disassemble but I try to keep pens and pencils in use until they are exhausted.

so...what's wrong with me that I only care about where to get a full rainbow set of Bic pens????

Charlotte is right that once you pay a little more for a fountain pen, you're less likely to take it for granted and lose it. I've been off disposable pens for 16 years, and in that time I've only lost one pen.

Plus, if you use a fountain pen with a converter, you can refill your pen directly from a bottle. It's no more of a hassle than remembering to carry a reusable shopping bag to the store.

And given that there's probably more plastic in a pen than a plastic bag, it's surprising that more blogs aren't talking about the green value of fountain pens. Nothing to recycle but the glass bottle that the ink comes in.

I never lose pens and actually rarely use them at all. I have pens that are over a decade old that still haven't run out. Some of them are refillable, others are not. I can't see worrying too much about it as I'm sure the ones I have (which were given as souvenirs or gifts) will outlive me.

As for those who expressed concerns about recycling plastic, it's not always recycled in ways which involve chemicals. Some plastic is shredded and used as components in materials for carpeting or even clothing.

Of course, better yet is to avoid plastic altogether and use reusable (e.g., glass) as much as possible. The synthetic hormones and chemicals given off from all plastic makes it worth reducing your purchases of plastic items.

Wish I were more like Jenny! But I'd have to agree with Daniel about them disapearing. I must have a pen eating monster as my shadow! They disapeer more often then my socks during the wash cycle. However, this article does have me pondering what more I can do... Though I doubt I will start with a pen. And good for you Alice! That's a nifty idea and counts in my book as a great contribution.

Charlotte is right.

I was given a Mont Blanc pen 12 years ago as a gift and I still use it everyday. The cartridge has only needed to be changed once, thus far and I always return it to the side pocket of my purse when I am finished using it.

Sure I have sharpies, a few Le Pens (these are still divine, and various hotel pens. All in all, I can attribute my meager collection and purchase of ink writing instruments to the almighty Mont Blanc.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never been able to get a fountain pen to write smoothly. It always looks like I'm writing with a pen that's about the run out. I got a lovely Mont Blanc as a graduation gift and after many attempts had to abandon using it. I just figured that whatever angle my pen hits paper is wrong for a fountain pen...

Do fountain pens in the US all have different, non-interchangeable cartridges?? Here in France there are two standard cartridges, for ALL fountain pen makes: short and long. So all you have to know is whether your pen takes short cartridges (about 1.5" length) or long ones (about 3" length). And if your fountain pen takes long ones, it can use the short ones too...

I've had a steel Waterman fountain pen (long cartridges) for eleven years now. The long cartridges last forever, and I love it. The nib is still going strong!

Fountain pens don't even need to be expensive. In Europe, schoolkids commonly use fountain pens. You can buy a Lamy Safari, which writes beautifully, for about $25.

There are so many inexpensive, non-disposable options! To be extra green, you can even buy a reconditioned vintage pen (try an Esterbrook) off eBay. They're often lovely and inexpensive. Don't be scared of the bottled ink--it's fun--but you can also get an inexpensive converter to use cartridges.

These pens aren't going to give you the thrill of a Montblanc, but frankly most people who collect Montblanc do it for the way the pens look, not because they write the best. Most people agree that they don't.

One more thing: if you have problems writing with a fountain pen, stop using so much pressure and hold it a bit flatter. They don't write like ball point pens and it can be a bit weird to get used to.

I can't remember the last time I threw a pen away. I still have pens that are at least 10 years old.

Honestly, I don't think about recycling every little thing. I didn't even know that pens could be recycled. I do enough for the environment as it is, I'm not going to sweat throwing out a pen once every 10 years.

I pick up people's lost pens and pencils around campus all the time, and it happens so often I haven't bought a pen in two years!

I'm usually not too worried about these kinds of details; I already eat organic, walk to work, and recycle just about everything else. Sometimes you have to accept that you can only do so much.

But knowing where to take them makes a big difference -- thanks! Maybe I'll make a spot at home to keep the old ones until my next trip to an office-supply store.

haven't thought much about pens (though at home i am still on the same box of 12 i bought 5 years ago, so that's cool), but in terms of other small things: i decided to stop using the plastic post-it flag thingies that everyone uses at my office, and just use paper post-it flag thingies instead (they are just as good if not better). i always recycle tiny scraps of paper like the paper pouches my cheap-o black tea bags come in. and i'm looking at my purchases to see if there are ways i can reduce the packaging i take in (like liquid hand soap for instance - can't we just use paper-wrapped bar soap?)

some products are really hard, though! now you made me paranoid about using pens! :)

106 BILLION pens? That doesn't sound right. Is that even possible? If that's an accurate figure... how depressing.

Might I add mechanical pencils to the list of good things. They are nice and precise and I have found that I can often use pencil where pen might normally be used. A funny thing too is that you often find cartridges of them at thrift shops and garage sales which helped with one of my pet peeves about mechanical pencils- often there is a lot of packaging that comes along with them. I was wondering can the little lead containers be recycled? I also second the use of a converter for fountain pens- and yes montblanc doesn't write the best and I wish Lamy was easier to find in the US- only a few people carry them in SF but they write superbly-I have been a huge fan of fountain pens for years and there is something very romantic about them- ecofriendly and romantic- NICE!