A Science Experiment Of Sorts

See that pen and pencil in the picture?  They are the new biodegradable products from Paper Mate.  I was so excited when I learned that I was going to be doing a review of these pens.  The first thought I had was how much fun it was going to be for my kids.  But before we get to that, let me tell you a little about these products.

If you look at the pens, you will notice a cream colored part.  This part of the pen or pencil (and the green clip parts at the end) is biodegradable.  These biodegradable parts are made from a corn based material.  The pens come in four colors: blue, black, red and purple, and the pencils come with a biodegradable holder for the extra lead.  Both are comfortable to hold, and write smoothly.  It takes a year for them to completely break down once they are buried in soil.  This is where my little science experiment starts.

The kids and I took the pen apart, and threw away the parts that are not biodegradable.  Then we took the rest of the pen and "planted it" in an old hanging basket I had.  We were going to plant it in the ground, but this is a rental house, and though we are hoping to be here next year, who knows.  Plus, with it in a planter, we can carry it inside and check out the progress. (Brandi made the "tombstone" we stuck in the planter)

Once a month, the kids and I will uncover the pen, and see how much it is breaking down.  I will, of course, be taking pictures and sharing them with you.  I am excited to see how this works, and my kids are, too.  It will be interesting to see if different weather conditions make it break down more or less. 

Any thought or ideas about all this?  Do you think the weather will play a part in the process?  Are you interested in seeing what happens to this pen over the course of the next year?

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Paper Mate and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."