I was recently introduced to the company EcoSmart World that offers the very cool AusPen whiteboard markers. The markers (dry erase) are the most eco-responsible whiteboard markers out there. Made of 100% recycled material, they use non-toxic ink, are refillable and recyclable.

I use a small white board daily to keep my reviews in order so I know which ones will be written next as well as keep other work details that are updated often, on the board. To me, it’s much more eco-conscious then writing on paper post-its all day long, even when the paper is recycled. So you can imagine how excited I was when I was offered the AusPen Starter Kit as a sample for this review.

Auspen Starter Kit

The Kit comes in a very cool molded plastic case, which is not only convenient for storing the refill bottles, but is also 100% recyclable. It comes with 6 markers (black, blue, red, green, orange, and purple), 6 refill inkbottles and the option of customizing your colors. They are also available with a Bullet Nib for a bolder line, or a Chisel Nib for a finer line. Beyond the great ecological benefits, the non-toxic markers write fantastically, are highly visible, easy to erase and are a cinch to refill. The colors are rich and smooth and don’t lighten much in terms of color depth when dried, like most commercial markers do. You can tell there has been lots of thought put into how the markers were designed. I love them and know I’ll be using them for a very long time.

Are you sensitive to the smell of dry-erase markers like so many other people? The chemical called Xylene is the chemical that gives whiteboard markers that unique smell and some people that awful headache! The Auspen uses EEC approved non-xylene inks so there really aren’t any marker fumes. No more feeling lightheaded when writing on your white board.

Auspen Refill Ink Bottle

It’s been estimated that in the United States, some 400,000,000-marker pens are thrown out in the US schools each year. That means around 25,000 tons of marker pens go to US landfills annually. Imagine how those numbers increase when you add in business users! Disposable whiteboard markers clog our landfills with toxic chemicals and millions of these cylinders will never biodegrade.

EcoSmart World states that one AusPen Kit equals 246 disposable whiteboard (dry erase markers) and by using one AusPen Kit it keeps approximately 20 pounds of toxic waste out of the landfills. North American teachers will throw out over 500 million whiteboard markers into local landfills.The average teacher can dispose of 2 whiteboard markers a WEEK! Think about how we could contribute to cleaning up the environment in schools, businesses and our homes if we used these eco markers. Using an Auspen refillable marker pen and ink saves you and the environment the price of 20 ordinary marker pens. Just one refillable marker pen replaces 20 ordinary marker pens that would usually end up as landfill and cause 20lbs. of waste.

Auspen 6-Pack Auspen 6-Pack

The Auspen Kit is available at EcoSmart World for $69.95. You can also purchase the Auspen 6-Pack (without refill bottles) for $29.95 and Auspen Refill Ink Bottles for $7.95.

EcoSmart Worlds tagline says it best ,“Penfill, Not Landfill.” It’s the little things we do that really benefit our environment.

Auspen Kit Summary:

Pros:

• Made from recycled material (aluminum)

• Non-toxic Ink

• Low odor

• Refillable

• Very, very economical (less than disposable markers)

• Extended cap-off times (still works 48 hours after cap is off)

Cons:

• None