Pencils can be recycled as long as they are made from recyclable materials. This goes for wood pencils, plastic pencils, and metal pencils.
Why Recycle Pencils?
Worldwide, students use approximately 4.5 billion pencils every year. This creates a lot of waste, and you can reuse the materials.
How Many Trees are Cut Down to Make Pencils?
Wood pencils can cause about 82,000 trees to be cut down every year.
How Many Pencils are Made Every Year?
More than 15 billion pencils are manufactured every year.
How to recycle wooden pencils
To recycle wooden pencils, they must be made from all-natural materials. Wood must be untreated and uncoated.
Wood from the pencil will be recycled and made into new products such as mulch, paper and chipboard.
Programs for Recycling Used Pencils and Pens
BIC has a program to help consumers recycle their used writing instruments. You can join the program they have partnered with Terracycle. TerraCycle is an organization that collects used products and recycles them into new products.
In the program, they collect used immobilizers. This includes any brands of used pens, pencils, markers, markers, and mechanical pencils.
You can print shipping labels from their website or request prepaid shipping labels from them.
After receiving the shipment, they sort products by material type and send them for recycling into new products.
As a bonus, each shipment will also contribute to a charity.
How to Recycle Plastic Pencils
Plastic pencils can be recycled if they are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This plastic is recyclable and can be turned into new products, such as pipes and vinyl products. This type of plastic is generally recyclable in most communities.
Other uses of HDPE include detergent bottles, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles.
How to Recycle Metal Pencils
Metal pencils can be recycled as long as they are made from recyclable materials. To recycle metal pencils, you must first remove the eraser and the iron. Also, be sure to take the graphite out.
When recycling any type of pencil, it’s important to check with your local recycling center to see what materials they accept.
Can you Recycle Painted Pencils?
The paint on pencils can chemicals not accepted by recycling centers. Because of this, it is not recommended to recycle painted pencils.
What Can You Do to Repurpose Pencils
If you want to make the most out of recycling pencils at home, there are many ways to repurpose them.
Gardening support
Do you have a garden? You can use pencils in the garden in a number of ways. For starters, sometimes seedlings need support as they grow. You can give them the support they need to grow strong and healthy with ropes and pencils. Simply tie the seedling to the pencil if it is overturned and adjust it as needed or until the seedling has its own stand.
Use as Mulch
Pencils can also be used as mulch in the garden. For starters, pencils can be used as a way to deter weeds. You can safely shred wood material by breaking a pencil into several pieces. Be sure to wear gloves when you go to avoid any debris. Place the wood around the base of the tree. This helps prevent weeds and it will also save water.
Turn them into art
Create amazing artwork using a pencil as a medium. You can use anything from a graphite pencil, to a regular wooden pencil. Be as creative as you want and use them to draw or write.
You can also use them to make 3D art. For example, you can take a pencil and engrave a design.
Types of pencils
The first pencil was simply graphite. The word “pencil” actually comes from the Latin word “penicillus”, which means “little tail”. The first pencils were made by cutting graphite into thin bars and attaching them to a wire.
The modern pencil was invented in 1795 by Nicholas-Jacques Conte. He used a process of mixing clay and graphite to create a stiffer pencil. Pencils made with this process are still in use today.
The most common type of pencil is the wooden case pencil. These pencils have a diagonal cut at one end and contain graphite mixed with clay. The graphite core is attached to the wooden case with glue.
Wooden pencils come in a variety of sizes, including standard, pencil and mini pencils. Standard pencils are the most common and are about 7 inches long. The jumbo pencil is larger than a standard pencil and is about 8 inches long. The mini pencil is smaller than a standard pencil and is about 6 inches long.
There are also mechanical pencils, without a wooden case. Instead, they have a metal or plastic container that contains lead. The first is raised by pressing a button or twisting the barrel.
Reusing Pencils to Save Them
If you have pencils that you no longer need, you can use them effectively. Giving pencils to students in need is a great way to recycle them. Talk to local schools and see if they have a pencil recycling or donation program.
There are also many other organizations that collect pencils and give them to students around the world.
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