Whiteboards are a great invention. Clear to see and easy to use. I use a small one every day for maths practice. Saves so much paper. Ethically a blackboard would be a better option though as as whiteboards while saving paper generate plastic waste via the endless stream of whiteboard markers you use. Blackboards however are not as clear to view at a distance and do not clean as well as a whiteboard without extra effort.
Using whiteboards ourselves we soon collected quite a number of expended whiteboard markers. Because they are plastic and should have a second use somehow I could not bring myself to dispose of them. I started out pulling the bottoms off them and putting in 20 drops of methylated spirits. This got them working again but for less than half the time they originally lasted. Not ideal but extending their life by 50% was a start.
Then I discovered you can buy whiteboard marker ink. I ordered some and a 50ml bottle of black arrived. I pulled the bottom off a dead pen and put in 30 drops. Within 10 minutes it had permeated through the pen and it worked. It is writing slightly wider than a new one as the tip is worn but it writes dark with no fluffy edges. Perfectly serviceable now.
So far it appears the pen will now last as long as a new one (I don’t think they have much ink in them when new!!) and will probably refill 3 times before the tip is no longer serviceable.
If I get three refills per pen the pen now has 4 lives. I have extended the service life to 400%. If we could extend the service life of all the plastic we use by that much our plastic use, and thus our plastic waste, is reduced to a ¼!
The bottle cost me $6 delivered from Ali-express and holds 50ml. A standard drop is 20 per ml but the carrier liquid in the ink is alcohol so each drop is considerably smaller so probably 30 per ml. That means I can refill about 50 pens with this bottle, that is about 12 cents per refill.
Refilling pens:
The method depends on the pen type. With pens like Artline the end that holds the felt tip unscrews. Simply unscrew the end and put 30 drops on the felt reservoir. This mat remain in the pen body or may come out when you unscrew the tip end.
If you have the cheaper type of pen (I do!!) then the tip end does not unscrew, but the opposite end does have a push in plug that you can remove.
If you have the ‘type A’ pen then simply use a pair of pliers to hold the plug and twist the pen body clockwise and counter clockwise. The plugs are not clipped or glued in and will release and slide out. Then turn the pen so it is tip down and put the 30 drops onto the felt reservoir. The reservoir is thinner than the body so make sure the drops go into the pen in the centre so the hit the felt reservoir. Then push the plug back in.
If you have the ‘type B’ pen then this is the hardest to do. The plug is recessed into the body but there is a gap around it. I use a steak knife placed into the recess to gently lever the plug out.
Gently is the key here. Unless you are refilling a red pen getting blood all over your pen is a no no!!
Which ever pen type you have do the refill over the sink. The ink is non permanent and cleans off with methylated spirits but the ink pigment will penetrate and remain in anything absorbent.
The pigment is not plastic based. It is a blend of natural material with the main component being finely ground charcoal. It used to be made from micro-plastic like laser printer pigment but the natural pigment invented over a decade ago by a German company is also the cheapest so even the small Chinese companies make it this way.
Since the time I bought this ink I have found that several companies like Artline now sell refills for their pens. Some of these are easier to use but cost considerably more. There is no easy refill for the cheaper pens I use so far. You can also get red, blue and green ink as well.
Words and images by Brett Jones