ForestChoice Pencils: Aromatic and Sustainable

Whats the lead\ graphite made from?

What's funny is that this is the only FSC certified lumber that Home Depot carries after all the pressure to stop logging old growth Hem-Fir forests in Oregon.

Though I applaud the use of FSC certified wood instead of non sustainably harvested, I prefer the pencils that are made of no raw materials/resources, but are instead made from recycled denim and old dollar bills.
Anytime I can go with a reuse/recycled product over a "new" product, I try to go with recycled.

FSC certification entails more than just the wood itself, though. It includes long-term sustainability and economic growth for the region where the wood is harvested. That's something that can't be guaranteed with pencils made from recycled materials -- not to mention the toxins that some of those kinds of pencils require. That said, I am a fan of recycled pencils myself, though not necessarily over wooden ones from well-managed forests. An environmentally perfect pencil is a myth, but that's true of pens and computers, too. Some pencils come darned close, though:)

I found this when I was considering using cedar shavings for a dog bed:




"Cedar shavings are not recommended, because they emit aromatic hydrocarbons that induce hepatic microsomal enzymes and cytotoxicity (Torronen and others 1989; Weichbrod and others 1986, 1988) and have been reported to increase the incidence of cancer (Jacobs and Dieter 1978; Vlahakis 1977)."




Seems like the pleasant aroma might come at a cost...

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that the cedar we're familiar with for things like wardrobes, shoe trees and the like are from the Red Cedar, an Eastern species -- what pencils used to be made of. Pretty much any cedar pencil on the market today is a Western species called Incense Cedar (which is ironic because it doesn't smell all that strongly, compared with Eastern Red Cedar) that grows in Northern California and Oregon. Cedar pencils are approved non-toxic for children to use at school -- any cedar school pencil is made from it (like Dixons). This is all not to claim that there are so such toxins in Incense Cedar as the dog bed. I would not know the answer to that, but it's not the same tree at any rate;)

For more on the environmetnal trade off of recycled vs. wood cased pencils visit here.

markyMark - Not sure the research you note for cedar savings for pet bedding is relevant for wood cased pencils and humans. First, these studies deal with different species of wood than Incense-cedar (Libocedrus decurrens)which is used for pencils. Cedar pet bedding is most commonly from Eastern Red Cedar also known as Aromatic Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana). This species is no longer used for pencils though it was until the 1960s.

Second, the extended exposures to pets in animal bedding for such test relates to direct exposures for mice and rodents as a litter/bedding type use. Making a generalization to raise concern for the use of wood cased pencils of different species seems quite a stretch. Pencil shavings are not something involving prolonged or even frequent exposure.

Finally, the evidence of any cancer risk related to cedar is spotty at best and relates to sustained ongoing inhalation exposure to Western Red Cedar sawdust by factory workers, another non-pencil species. This research does not relate to pet bedding. These epidemological studies demonstrate that the issue of volatile phenol involvement for which the cancer concern exists is not clear. No such links have been found related to Incense-cedar for pencils as investigated by our company's own research department in assessing any potential health risks to our workers or end consumers. Also Incense-cedar is an approved material as a result of detailed 3rd party toxicalogical studies as part of the PMA Pencil certification process.

I LIKE SMENCILS THEY ARE MADE FROM RECYCLED NEWS PAPER AND HAVE A NICE SMELL OF FRUIT. YOU CAN GET THEM AT SMENCILS.COM BUT THEY COST A DOLLAR A PIECE.