According to the EPA, Americans throw away 1.6 billion disposable pens every year. That’s a lot of plastic. It’s sad that we use and waste so much plastic when a lot of it can be reused or repurposed.

You may be wondering how you can use pens for something other than writing. If you use your imagination and get creative, you can come up with some ideas of your own.

Pens and pencils can be reused for crafts and other projects. They can be used to make toys, and you can use them for both inside and outside projects. The sky is really the limit when it comes to repurposing pens and pencils.

Here are 35 unique ideas that can help you recycle some of the pens and pencils you have lying around in your own home. If your pen runs out of ink or stops working, don’t throw it away. Instead, use one of these ideas to repurpose it.