Although pens may not be a huge source of landfill waste, it still hurts the environment when they're simply thrown away. That's where the Scribit Pen is designed to come in, as it's claimed to be completely compostable.
Created by Italian design firm Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), the marker-type pen can be utilized to draw by hand, but it's being made specifically for use by the company's existing Scribit wall-drawing robot.
Its refillable, reusable barrel is made from the buyer's choice of wood or bioplastic – people who don't care about going fully compostable can also opt for anodized aluminum. The replaceable nibs and cartridges inside that barrel are composed of "natural fibers," while the non-toxic water-based ink is actually certified as edible … although you probably wouldn't want to drink it.
"We were troubled by the amount of plastic produced by the markers that the [Scribit] robot uses," says CRA president Carlo Ratti, who is also director of MIT's Senseable City Lab. "By developing the new Scribit Pen, we can turn one of humankind's primordial acts – drawing – into a fully sustainable one."
The pen is currently still in development. There's no word on when it may be commercially available.
Source: Scribit