May 6 2010
Barring the rollerball nib, every other component of the pen is biodegradable. Some of the environment-friendly components of the DBA pen include an ink that is based on water completely made using food-grade ingredients; an injection-molded casing made using a potato derivative; and an ecological packaging made using minimal, locally sourced, chlorine-free materials and is completely recyclable.
Presently, there are 5.2 billion disposable pens being sold in the U.S. every year. These pens are generally manufactured abroad utilizing processes that emit sizable amount of carbon. The pens are often made using a complex combination of materials and oil and are not easily recyclable. Moreover, the toxic biocides and dyes utilized in ink seep poisonous chemicals into the planet.
In order to roll out an environment-friendly pen, DBA decided to manufacture its biodegradable pen in an environmentally sustainable factory located in New York. The factory utilizes a wind turbine to power the facility as well as innovative cooling and heating systems to recapture surplus thermal energy.