Promotional pens made from innovative recycled materials help keep our environment cleaner

2022-05-26

Together, we find innovative solutions which help us become even more environmentally responsible in our daily business activities!

Our focus is on recycling plastic waste and saving resources, and our goal to achieve a more sustainable ecological balance. In order to achieve this, we have added environmentally friendly pens made from innovative recycled materials to our product selection.

Start using recycled pens in your company! There are many benefits for both your business and our planet as a whole:

  • There will be less trash floating around in the marine environment and laying on the beaches
  • There will be less greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
  • There will be less waste in the landfills. As the landfills become smaller, the amount of pollution and toxic gases released by it will also be reduced
  • There will be less need for extracting and burning fossil fuels to produce new materials, as recycling of old materials becomes more popular
  • New jobs will be created in companies that specialize in recycling
  • Thanks to you, our common fight against global climate change has received a valuable boost
  • With your environmentally friendly decision, you set a valuable example for others to follow!

Algo-Pen. Brown algae pen

Print an eye-catching full color photo on the clip of the pen!

Raw material out of the ocean! Consisting of 20% brown algae and PLA.

New trend-color ALGO, pushers optionally available in different colors, made of ABS plastic.
Document proof, Swiss made – large capacity Ultra Recycled refill, writing length: approx. 6000 m.
DIN-certified organic material.

Huge amounts of brown algae (Sargassum) in the oceans have become a major problem. Floating in the water, this “big sea of Sargassum” blocks the incidence of light and is killing sea biodiversity. Toxic gases are released at the beaches, as a result of the decomposition of tons of Sargassum under the sun.

We use this biomass as raw material: In the new ALGO-PEN.
The new revolutionary, bio-based material, consisting of seaweed and PLA for our ALGO-PEN – is not only saving resources, but also helps to preserve sea biodiversity. It contains 20% Sargassum.

Made in Germany.

Lift Recycled. Pen made from shelf dividers

Award-winning upcycling!

In cooperation with “dm-drogerie markt“, former shelf dividers from the dm stores are recycled and processed into the new LIFT RECYCLED.
This pioneering project received the Promotional Gift Award 2020.
The new large capacity ULTRA RECYCLED refill, made from recycled polypropylene, offers perfect writing performance with a writing length of up to 6000 m. Document proof, swiss made – large capacity Ultra.

Made in Germany.

Crest Recycled+. Pen made from old household appliances

Post-consumer recycled plastic.

The ballpoint pens, produced in post-consumer recycled ABS plastic, are made from old household appliances.
The plastic parts are sorted according to type and processed into a new, usable raw material. This leads to a saving of approx. 80% of the energy expenditure, compared to conventional production.
By recycling approx. 65.000 tons of waste every year, 4,8 tons CO² per ton of plastic are saved! This means approx. 312.000 tons of CO².

Post-consumer recycled plastic, which is extracted and processed from old plastic parts.
Available in black and grey – pushers optionally available in different colors, made of ABS plastic.
Document proof, swiss made – large capacity Ultra.
Recycled refill, writing length: approx. 6000 m.

Made in Germany.

Plant. Pen made from PLA-plastic

PLA is a bio-based material that consists of natural, renewable raw materials and is therefore a sensible alternative to oil-based plastics.
The development and processing of natural materials is a sustainable step towards the future.

Bio-based plastic PLA – 90%.
Made from naturally renewable raw material.
Document proof, swiss made – x-20 Jogger refill, writing length: approx. 2000 m

Made in Germany

Bio-Mix. Pen made from renewable bio-based material

Unique mix of environmentally friendly materials.

The latest version „Bio-Mix“ is with pusher and tip made of the bio-based material cellulose acetate, 70%.
We focus consistently on alternative materials in order to reduce the plastic content. The plastic cellulose acetate, made from local softwood, neither pollutes oil resources, nor does it compete with food production.

Convincing quality since 1992: more than 35 million pcs. have been sold.

Recycled cardboard barrel and wooden clip.
Document proof, swiss made – x-20 Jogger refill, writing length: approx. 2000 m

Made in Germany.

Soft touch pens – super comfortable!

Touch is a great tool to promote your brand. If you are interested in products that are handheld, choosing a pleasant texture is the key sales factor. Pens are a fantastic item for putting this advertising strategy into practice.

Soft touch pens are becoming increasingly popular. You can often hear people being astounded: how is it possible that this pen is so comfortable to hold in the hand? What exactly is this remarkable soft touch feature, and what makes it special?

After the custom design is printed on the pen, the whole surface of the pen or certain parts of it are sprayed with a rubberized covering called “soft touch”. Depending on the design of the specific pen, the metal clip or tip may be left out from the soft touch.

Soft touch pens are basically a fancier overall version of pens with a separate rubber or silicone grip. This means that the extra grip does not have to be manufactured at all – this spares the environment. Soft touch pens do not slip from your fingers, which means that your tired hand will enjoy writing with it just the same.

In addition, the soft touch cover affects light reflection. Soft touch pens look stylishly matte, not glossy. The personalized logo design looks really nice on it.

Use soft touch pens to your advantage and stand out from your competition. Give your customers the opportunity to relax and enjoy a pleasant writing experience!

Capri Soft. Metal ball pen with soft touch

Metal ball pen with push mechanism, soft touch finish for a perfect feel.

Large capacity budget blue metal refill, writing length: approx. 3500 m.

Colors available: red, black, dark blue, light blue, green, grey, orange, yellow.

Exos Soft. Ball pen with soft touch

Soft-Touch surface, metal tip and clip.

Soft-Touch surface: The print is protected due to the soft touch lacquering.

Document proof, Swiss made – large capacity Ultra Soft refill, writing length: approx. 4000 m.

Made in Germany.

Plastic poses a serious environmental risk

Writing on paper is a most effective way to express your thoughts and remember them – no wonder they are everywhere. So, for a moment, let us consider the typical plastic pen that can be found on any office table. High-quality pens last a long time, but have you given any thought to the fact that, in several ways, they are an environmental hazard?

If the pen is made from recyclable materials, it can be given a new life. However, not all parts may be suitable for recycling, as they most likely have a different chemical structure. For example, the hull of the pen may be recyclable plastic, the tip and button some sort of chrome plated metal, the ink may contain toxic compounds …

The decaying process of plastic takes a very long time – thousands of years. If a plastic item (ex. a pen dropped from your pocket in a forest area) winds up in nature, it firstly disintegrates into microplastics. These dangerous compounds reduce the soil quality, stunt the growth of plants, and have negative health effects for the animals who eat these plants. One such poisonous decay product is BPA, which has been scientifically proven to cause disruptions in the human hormonal system.

A strong breeze may cause the pen to fly off and land in water, which endangers marine life. Those most susceptible to harm are large predatory fish (ex. tuna), dolphins and whales, as microplastics from smaller food sources accumulate in their large bodies over time. From this, it is clear to see that excessive plastic damages all food chains on our planet, including our own, if such a contaminated fish winds up on our dinner plate. In addition to hormonal imbalance, microplastics can cause cancer.

Too much plastic is being produced and not enough of it is being recycled

Looking back in time, the situation is depressing. According to studies, out of all plastic that has been produced since the 1950s, only about 9% has ever been recycled. About 12% has been burned as fuel or just to get rid of it. Yes, plastic is used as fuel in the same way as other fossil fuel products, meaning unsustainably. Plastic can be burnt and the resulting heat powers turbines for generating electricity. In common with gas and diesel are also the environmental hazards. The resulting waste and greenhouse gases pollute the environment for a long time, decreasing the quality of the world’s oceans and atmosphere, in the form of harmful ash.

So, it is no wonder that microplastics are found at an alarmingly increasing rate in marine animals; it has even been detected in rainwater and human blood … The more you think about it, the more frightening it becomes. Plastic pollution is a global problem that we must combat as a team, as it affects each one of us and our families.

Has the situation improved in recent years, as recycling is more popular nowadays than before? Unfortunately, improvements have been marginal, and the rate of recycling varies greatly depending on the country. The highest rates of plastic recycling can be found in the European Union: 29,7%. In contrast, the United States only recycle 9,5% of plastic. These numbers are not entirely trustworthy, however, as they are taken from official government records. In many areas, recycling is mainly in the hands of regular citizens – in other words, the informal sector. If people recycle plastic containers and such in their own home, it does not show up in any statistics.

The worst thing about it – plastic is still being produced more and more each year. Plastic production is nearly half a billion tons each year. Recycling all of this is a tremendous task which needs our well-planned cooperation, and the sooner we start working towards solutions, the better!

Recycling plastic – what does it look like?

The most common way of recycling plastic is done by melting old plastic parts together and pouring them into moulds to make new parts.

There is a more complex form of recycling called pyrolysis. In this process, polymeric plastic is melted back into monomeric form (we could also say, back into petroleum) and then combined into some other polymer. For example, this is how nylon is made.

A brief overview of the recycling process for plastic:

  1. Plastic waste (old household appliances etc.) is collected from designated disposal bins and taken into the recycling facility.
  2. Different types of plastic have different physical properties (chemical structure, thickness, weight, color) and they are used for different purposes – they must be sorted. This is handled by machines.
  3. The plastic is washed and cleaned in order to get rid of any dirt and other contaminants, such as glue. Otherwise, the new plastic may have impurities or even be toxic.
  4. Large chunks of plastic are ground into small granules and poured into water. The granules with a larger density sink, and the ones which are less dense float – an easy way to separate them. To extract heavier granules from lighter ones, both are poured together into special turbines called wind tunnels. Lighter pieces of plastic stay in the air and the heavier ones fall down.
  5. If enough plastic of a certain type has been collected, it is melted into pellets. These are used to manufacture new plastic items either at the spot, or they are transported to another facility which handles pellets.

What are the differences between recycling plastic and metal?

Comparing metal recycling to plastic recycling has a lot to do with the specific type of metal, not so much of the plastic polymer. Are we comparing plastic to aluminium, stainless steel or something else? It also depends on the physical properties (size, thickness etc) of the new metal item being produced.

Plastics are made from fossil fuels, which is a non-renewable resource. At some point in time, there may not be enough left for industrial activity. On our planet, metal ores are vastly greater than oil reserves. Metal is much simpler to recycle than plastic, as it is usually enough to just melt it and pour it into a new mould. For example, according to estimates, 75% of aluminium currently in use has been recycled at some point. Aluminium cans can be used over and over without the need to recycle.

Other metals require more fresh ore in their recycling process. For example, the following mixture is popular for recycled stainless steel products: 60% recyclate and 40% iron that has not been processed before.

Aluminium production is one of the most energy-expensive industries out there. This means high carbon emissions; statistics show that a significant amount of aluminium is produced with hydroelectric power, though. For comparison, producing one kilogram of polyethylene (plastic) creates 4 kg CO2; producing one kilogram of aluminium creates 10,63 kg CO2.

Metal quarries are particularly dangerous to the environment, as they pollute groundwater and destroy habitats. It makes a lot of sense to recycle metal, so there is less need for extracting more metal ores – this equals less of an impact on nature.

That said, landfills full of plastic waste create a huge number of toxic gases and pollution all year round, which in itself is a serious environmental hazard.

Plastic is lightweight and flexible, which makes transporting and storing it easy. Transporting very heavy metal items burns more fuel and creates more greenhouse gases.

In conclusion, we can say that the main reason for the unpopularity of plastic recycling is its technical difficulty and the time-consuming steps of the process, especially when compared to metal recycling, which is much more widespread. People tend to take the easy way out and simply produce more and more plastic.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is vitally important to find innovative measures for stopping plastic waste from polluting our natural environments.