The Writing Instruments Recycling Programme

Accepted waste in this programme : All writing instruments (except for wooden pencils and chalk) are accepted : Any brand of pen, felt tip, highlighter, marker, correction fluid pot, correction tape, mechanical pencil and eraser pen regardless of their composition.

Note that we do not accept glue sticks, erasers, rulers or other cutting objects that could disturb the recycling process. Please be careful not to include any of those items. 

Please check out our Accepted Waste Poster below for more details.

We advise the person in charge of any BIC® Community Champion location to send shipments of at least 15kg of used writing instruments. 15kg is the minimum weight requirement in order to receive £0.01 per writing instrument to donate to the school, charity or non-profit of the sender's choice.

Once your box is securely taped (with no loose edges or corners), print the pre-paid label from your TerraCycle account and attach it to the box. Then simply drop if off at a UPS access point or order a pick-up via UPS by calling 03457 877 877 and UPS will collect it directly from your location. 

Once collected, the writing instruments are separated by material composition, cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products. Click here to learn more about the recycling process.

This programme offers 100 TerraCycle® points for each kilogram of writing instruments sent. However, the points will only be awarded if the parcel reaches the minimum weight of 15 kilograms. 

For example:

10 kilograms = 0 TerraCycle® points
15 kilograms = 1,500 TerraCycle® points
20 kilograms = 2,000 TerraCycle® points

Please note that TerraCycle® points are only credited to the accounts of public drop-off location administrators as a reward for their collection efforts. The number of points given is determined by the weight of the parcel. 1 TerraCycle® point is worth 1 penny.

Once credited, the points can be redeemed into financial donations to the charity or school chosen by the owner of the points. The points must be redeemed on the TerraCycle® website.

Need help communicating  to your community about what you are doing? Download our posters and leaflets below : 

Ever wondered what we do with your used writing instruments once they are sent in for recycling? This short video explains the entire recycling process of the writing instruments from collection to the final transformation.