This week alone, I've had 3 pens and markers run out whilst I've been using them. I can't imagine how many NTU - including staff and students - uses in a week, month, or across an academic year, and how many are thrown away into landfill.

One of the ways we can recycle these effectively is to use Terracycle's service. They will use the writing equipment we send to create new plastic products that can also be re-made into new products once they are unusable. 

Currently, the drop-off programme is full so NTU can't be a drop-off point (although this could be something to consider if the programme expands). However, the closest drop-off point to NTU is in Beeston, which isn't feasible for everyone.

I propose that we create specific writing equipment recycling boxes/tubs and place them around the university so that, when our pens do run out, we aren't just tossing them into the landfill, where they will off-gas and hurt our environment. Particularly for lecturers and teachers using whiteboard pens, which are rarely recycled, and during exam season when students use multiple types of pens for revision purposes, I think this would be beneficial.

These pens could then be collected and sent en-masse to a Terracycle location or used in another way, e.g. for art purposes.