100 Ways to Reduce Your Impact

Step 100: Mechanical Pencils

Instead of using #2 pencils that are used in a week to two weeks, use a mechanical pencil.

Thats way, you can refill your mechanical pencils, and not have to continually waste wooden pencils.

Comments

[skuzlebuttsean]

hasen't it been made pretty clear that the single action your average person could take to reduce their impact is to stop eating animal products? i think its been shown pretty conclusively that that would lower your impact more then almost any 90 of the other ways you mention put together. why neglect what is clearly the # 1 greatest way to "be green"?

[mlybbert]

what kind of pencil is that?

[zique316]

Do you really use a wooden pencil in a week? You must have carpel tunnel syndrome by now. I use wooden pencils daily for work (Landscape Designer) and it still takes me about 2 months to go through one pencil. Pretty insignificant impact if you ask me.

[Tommyhzy]

Oh a WAY better suggestion is to NOT PRESS HARD when writing because it wastes a LOT of lead when people press hard.

I go through a pencil in about 1 to 1-1/2 months. Oh and I'm a high school student with a lot of homework.

[podup365.com]

I am just not sold on this tip, but I may be biased. I enjoy writing/journaling with a wooden pencil. Mechanical pencils are made with plastic, a product derived from petroleum. They are also usually wrapped in more plastic than a wooden pencil when purchased. All of this plastic ends up in a landfill. There are wooden pencils made from recycled paper, too. I suppose there is likely to be a mechanical pencil made from post consumer plastic, too. Still, mechanical pencils break and get tossed out. Wood pencils would break down faster in a landfill. My vote.... go with the wood pencil.

[bouncy_bouncer]

Not only can you reuse the shavings, trees are a renewable resource. There is a tremendous amount of waste in packaging and a whole lot of plastic used in refillable pencils. But if you use a wood pencil, use it until it's a nub. If you wear out the eraser, get a pink eraser and keep it handy. It should outlast hundreds of pencil erasers.

[efilnikufecin]

Those wood shavings from standard pencils can be re-used in your home too. Those of you who have encountered a loose wood screw that will not tighten can use this tip. Mix school glue with shavings from sharpening a pencil, then fill the hole with it. Once dry, put the screw back in, and your problem is solved.