Where do you throw away pens, pencils, and markers?

Pens and markers. Ballpoint pens or ballpoint pens. But also the most classic stationery, from drawing pencils to coloring pencils. The question is always the same: Where do you throw these items when they're no longer usable? And how should they be disposed of?

To answer these questions, let's start at the end, the thing that matters most to all of us, at home and in the office: these types of writing and drawing objects are not considered packaging, and although they often contain various types of plastic, they cannot be disposed of in the dedicated plastic recycling bin. They should therefore be thrown in the organic or dry waste bin, whichever you prefer, meaning they are part of the unsorted waste. But let's see why and how.

How to dispose of stationery

Classic ballpoint pens, for example: how many of us are tempted to remove the ink tube and throw it in the trash? It might seem like the right thing to do, but it's not. Pens, even though they're made of plastic, don't fall into the packaging category and should therefore be thrown in the non-recyclable waste bin because the plastic they're made of has come into contact with the chemical components of the ink.

The same reasoning, more or less, can be done with the markers, the ones that children love to draw on, and which often remain gathering dust in a drawer in their bedroom even when they are now exhausted.

The ink cannula of the markers The so-called 'spirit colors' are made of felt and toluene, a material that makes the plastic of the marker, porous and not very rigid, not recyclable.

Where do you throw away pencils?

Despite the digital age, many of us, especially children, are still fascinated by colored pencils and crayons. Drawing pencils are made of wood and graphite, which is why the stubs should be thrown in the trash. Few people, however, know that the paint used to color pencils is biodegradable, so pencil shavings, the residue from sharpening, can be disposed of in the organic waste bin. The same goes for colored pencils.

Where to throw away penknives and cutters

As for all other stationery, which are always present in every home and in large quantities—just think of school supplies alone—there are general guidelines we can follow, while still maintaining the perennial advice of contacting the waste disposal company and adhering to each city's waste sorting regulations.

In general, items such as erasers, compasses, pencils, pens, and other multi-material items should be disposed of in the non-recyclable waste bin. Sharpeners, box cutters, rulers, and set squares, or any other items made of rigid plastic, can be disposed of in the plastic bin. Notebooks and books can be disposed of in the paper bin, but be very careful about the material's composition. Fax paper, printed paper, or plastic-coated paper is chemical paper and should be treated as such by disposing of it in the non-recyclable bin.

How to recycle pens and pencils

How to dispose of toner and cartridges

Finally, one last piece of advice: never throw toner or printer cartridges into your household or office waste bin. They belong to the category of so-called special waste, and should be returned, if possible, either to retail outlets, which often have special containers called 'ecoboxes' for their disposal, or to recycling centers. ecological islands where they are disposed of properly and separated from other unsorted waste. Always remember that used toner and cartridges may be considered hazardous waste under the provisions of the Consolidated Environmental Act.

In conclusion, before haphazardly throwing everything into the general waste bags or other bins, we always consult the recycling guide, as well as other useful and simple tools that technology offers us. An example?
Various information portals, often linked to smartphone apps, offer a search service by waste type and tell us where and how to dispose of it.

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• Where do you throw away polystyrene?
• How to recycle glass