Look around your desk, take a peek in the miscellaneous drawer in the kitchen, or rummage through your car's glove compartment. Are they full of pens and markers? Think of all the plastic used in disposable pens and markers and pencils. Well, some companies did think about it and have announced new lines of recycled writing instruments.

Pentel's new line of products all contain at least 50 percent recycled plastic. The eco-friendly line, branded Recycology, include pens, markers, pencils, lead and tape, and come from materials collected in commercial and residential recycling programs. Plus, many of the products are refillable in an effort to lessen waste, and the product packaging is made of recycled and recyclable materials.

Pentel joins perhaps lesser-known companies, such as Weisenbach Specialty Printing, which makes pencils and pens from recycled denim, tire rubber and even old currency. Some of the pens are made from more than $7 of used/retired money.

Office Depot even devotes a section of its business to green office products, which includes recycled paper, pens and other products that are perhaps greener than the norm.

School and office supplies fill huge warehouses and are necessities for most people in everyday life. And as if we didn't have enough of these half-full pens lying around, pharmaceutical representatives and other companies looking for branding have taken to handing them out freely - think the ubiquitous promotional bags full of magnets, pens and other useless items given out at events. It's about time we try to lessen the negative environmental impact of this industry – even if it only seems like a small pen – because those bits of plastic add up quickly.