Living plastic free: Highlighters

Written by EnviroWoman
Live Plastic-Free in 2007
Rest in peace my yellow friend. Rest in no-plastic peace

Friends. Family. We are gathered here today to pay our final respects to YellowHighlighter.    

A devoted and faithful companion to EnviroWoman for many, many years YellowHighlighter shared her love of reading, reconciling bank statements, and drawing on TheBeast’s nose.  

He was her ever-constant StudyBuddy through 14 years of post secondary school and even accompanied her into the hallowed halls of CorporateCanada.

And she…well she was as equally devoted to YellowHighlighter... buying him by the Costco-boxful to ensure he was always close at hand. She took him everywhere. And when he paled from exhaustion, she would replenish his ink to renew his purpose in life. 

I asked her once what she loved about YellowHighlighter and her answer was simple, as true love often is…“He fills my life with color. He helps me focus on what’s really important.

So devoted was she, that when YellowHighlighter was on his deathbed, the yellow drained out of him, and now just a mere hunk of plastic compared to his former self, EnviroWoman despaired “There will never be another.” 

And indeed, life will never be the same for EnviroWoman.

And we, her family and friends, must rally around her in this time of despair and no-plastic adjustment. When she reaches for her life-long companion YellowHighlighter, we must offer her ballpoint pens and pencil crayons instead.  

We must remind her that his memory will go on forever, and indeed, so will his body since he’s made of non-biodegradable plastic.

After the service, please join us at the LocalLandfill where we will lay YellowHighlighter’s body for its final rest, as it does not appear to be recyclable. 

And now my friends, please turn to page 22 of your hymnals and raise your voices in celebration of a life that once was…and EnviroWoman’s life that is now reborn…plastic-free

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see
….
 

Rest in Peace YellowHighlighter. Rest in No-Plastic-Peace my friend. 

So here’s how things add up:

Category: Highlighters

SAINT: The good old ball point pen (I’m using my all metal Cross pen) and have dug into my supply of Prismacolor pencil crayons (why didn’t I ever think of this before?) 

Price: Way cheaper

Quality: Not quite as pretty and colorful…but really, who cares…you’re just marking up paper  

SINNER: All highlighters, especially the ones that are not refillable. Stabilo, Roundedge, Accent, Sanford, Eberhard Faber  

Lessons learned:

  • Think outside the box. There is more than one way to bring color into your life.
  • Think outside disposables. Let’s face it, we live in a disposable society. Everything seems throw-a-away now adays…But here’s the kicker…the one thing that isn’t disposable is the planet. We gotta start refusing disposables.
  • Stop being blind. Start seeing. Stop being lost. Get found. (that doesn't sound right does it?...but you know what I mean). Either we change our ways and start trying to create HeavenOnEarth, or the planet goes to hell in a hand basket and takes us along with it. (Rightly so, too)

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Comments

Your site is always filled

Written by thegreenpuppy (not verified)

Your site is always filled with cute little stories to help hammer down tough lessons. I've also decided to give up highlighters. After my current ones die, I am switching to blue ink pens.

Also, thanks so much for posting about plastic inside of soda cans. I guess that's another thing I can swear off (good thing, I don't really like soda much to begin with and if I really need it, it comes in glass bottles too).

Thanks for such a great site!

The Levenger company makes a

Written by Karl G. Siewert (not verified)

The Levenger company makes a refillable "clutch pencil" that accepts dry highlighter refills. The pencil itself has a "resin" (read: plastic) barrel, but you can buy refills that might fit into an old-fashioned metal chalk holder.

Of course, it looks like the chalk holders are on blister packs, which means plastic. If you try a local school supply store, they might have some that are sold loose.

Another option is woodcased dry highlighter pencils. Check an art supply store.

Thanks thegreenpuppy. Glad

Written by EnviroWoman

Thanks thegreenpuppy.

Glad you like the site! We owe most of it's glory to Vancity and their partners in changeeverything. I am just one of many bloggers who contribute prose about changes we're making.

I'm beginning to fall in love with my china markers. I've got one in yellow and one in orange...I may even give up my ballpoint pen....

Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic

Karl Wow, the clutch pencil

Written by EnviroWoman

Karl

Wow, the clutch pencil looks very cool. Never knew about it. But you're right, might be commiting a MINOR SIN by buying it.

I have also never seen the woodcased dry highlighter pencils. (I must lead a very sheltered life). I'm gonna have to pop into local art supply meccas Opus and Loomis to see if they carry it...and see if it looks even more promising than my China-markers. I wonder if that cap is plastic though?

Thanks for the great suggestions.

EnviroWoman

Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic

Kate's picture

what are china markers?

Written by Kate

what are china markers?

Hiya Kate China Markers are

Written by EnviroWoman

Hiya Kate

China Markers are used to draw on smooth surfaces such as glass, plastics (gasp!) and acetates. Rubs off easy. They're used by students, artists, craftsmen, designers...and people who work in china shops (to mark prices and flaws on the china)

EnviroWoman

Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic