1GreenProduct

Bamboo Tornado™ pen by Retro 51

Super convenient but environmentally problematic, plastic is a difficult material to eliminate from our lives because it is so ubiquitous.

Why even bother trying to reduce our plastic use? Apparently, both the manufacture and disposal of common plastics involves the use or release of chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and humans.

Also, while plastic is useful precisely because it is durable, this durability makes it resistant to biodegradation. As a result, it tends to stick around for a very long time, mucking up the oceans and clogging landfills. You may not be able to see the effects of the hormone disrupting plasticizers with the naked eye, but anyone can see the lasting impact of plastic on the environment from the clutter of plastic trash that accumulates and persists beside highways and in urban gutters.

Still, as mentioned, it’s hard to get rid of plastic. The computer on which I am typing is encased in plastic. So is my TV, my stereo, the bottles of cleaning products across the room, the suitcase by the doorway.

And even if I were writing this post on paper, I’d most likely be writing with a plastic pen — although hopefully a pen made at least from recycled plastic.

But today I have a new option – a pen with a barrel made from solid bamboo. The Bamboo Tornado™ by Retro 51 is not only a beautiful writing instrument, it’s made from an incredibly fast-growing renewable and biodegradable plant resource.

(The only place that Retro 51 obviously fails from a Green standpoint is with the Bamboo Tornado’s packaging. There’s no indication that the handsome box is made from recycled paper and it’s hard to believe that the foam insert holding the pen securely in place is made from eco-friendly materials either…)

What’s more, Retro 51 says it will make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation to save 250 square feet of rainforest for every Bamboo Tornado pen sold. According to the Retro 51 website, the company has already helped Arbor Day Foundation save more than 1.6 million square feet of rainforest, saving valuable and endangered habitats.

Now the impact of one pen might not seem like a lot, but consider that humans use billions of pens every year. All that plastic — or all that rainforest – can really add up.

Also, unlike with many disposable pens, the Bamboo Tornado (like other Retro 51 Tornado products) is refillable. Which means one pen and the bamboo from which it is made should last a long time.

Where to Buy:

Check the Retro 51 website to find a Bamboo Tornado (MSRP $40) dealer near you.

You can also find the Bamboo Tornado online at websites like Barnes & Noble ($35.95) and Amazon.com ($39.99).

Disclosure – Retro 51 provided me with a complimentary Bamboo Tornado pen to test and review.