Writing brigade keeps pens from landfills
TerraCycle Newell Rubbermaid Include USA
Ran out of ink? Do not throw away that used pen, though. Three major writing brands are encouraging the public to reuse pens, markers and other used writing instruments through a recycling program with a social conscience. Newell Rubbermaid Office Products, maker of Sharpie, EXPO and Paper Mate products, has partnered with upcycling company TerraCyle to launch the unique program. Instead of throwing away your old pens, bring them to collection centers called Writing Instrument Brigades which will be set up at participating locales. TerraCvcle will then dissemble or reprocess the collected instruments to make new products. In turn, Newell Rubbermaid will give two cents to a school, community group, charity or nonprofit organization of the participant’s choice for every writing instrument collected. Overall, the collection efforts will reduce landfill proliferation, educate and inspire consumers to get involved and provide much needed funding to schools and nonprofit groups nationwide. "Keeping one pen or marker out of a landfill may seem like a small contribution, but multiply that by the estimated $5 billion writing instruments sold in the United States each year and it is a big opportunity to reduce waste to landfills," said Ben Gadbois, president of Newell Rubbermaid which produces markers, highlighters, art and office essentials. "TerraCycle offers us an innovative way to repurpose writing instruments after their useful life has expired," he added. Interested parties may sign up with TerraCycle to establish a Brigade location and then select the school, charity or nonprofit group to which they want their collection funds directed. Each Brigade prints a prepaid shipping label from TerraCycle's website to ship the collected writing instruments to TerraCycle.
- Katrice R. Jalbuena