Living the American Green

I know everyone who’s reading this blog has one thing in common: they’re counting the moments until somebody finally invents a pen that they can eat. Well, DBA, a local green design firm to New York, has brought us one step closer with their 98% bio-degradable pen. It may not taste so good, but it sure does compost well, compared to a Bic. I saw these folks give a sales pitch in the final competition levels of Brooklyn Green Spaces‘ Green Business Competition a couple weeks back, and they have some pretty keen ideas.

Tired of eco-friendly products that look clunky and behave sub-par, DBA is a company focused on creating green pens, notebooks, dish-racks, heaters, and even humidifiers that appeal to both design geeks and granola munchers alike. Aside from its sleek appearance (prototypes have yet to be released to the public), DBA’s writing utensil is the first in the world(!?) that doesn’t have petrochemical ink. That’s right- it’s made from food grade substances similar to those you can find in soda, and is completely non-toxic. Couple that with the fact that the pen casing is made from potatoes, and you’ve got one natural writing utensil. Throw away the nib when you’re done, and you can actually compost the pen in your backyard bin. (If you’re a good hippie, of course).

My hat goes off to DBA for developing this pen (which is all New York State-produced), and more importantly, the ink. Their costs are cheaper than big pen companies, so hopefully Staples and some of the other big players can get in on this groundbreaking ink development. FOUR GORES!

Who wrote this one?  Dana Variano is a screenwriter, director, and new media strategist. She is the founder of Where’s My Sled? Productions, and is currently working as Web Content Manager/Producer for a housing nonprofit. Read more from this author