Pencil shavings.

[di]

A good idea as mulch or not?

My lad just lovingly emptied his school pencil case contents in the living room. Think it must be the first emptying since he got it in September

Anyway, the contents are mainly from non toxic coloured pencils with a few lead pencil shavings (do they still even use real lead?)...I can't quite bring myself to throwing them away. Can anyone see a valid reason why I shouldn't use them as a mulch?

Thinking also, if they're OK, the school could provide Eco club with tonnes.

[di]

I'm actually now a little worried they will be OK....I have two bags of old pencils that I was going to throw out.....if turned to shavings, I could have the next week of lonely evenings sorted out!

[Jeanied]

They don't use real lead, Di - it is graphite. I once saw a lovely piece of collage art work done using the longer shavings - the ones that form a complete circle - with the coloured paint on the outer edge and little flakes of the lead on the inside.
In the spirit of minimum waste - use them!

[Two_Sheds]

A good idea as mulch or not?

Won't they blow around? They can be composted though

In the spirit of minimum waste - use them!

Yep, compost everything

[veggiechicken]

I don't have a problem with the graphite or the wood but what about the paint/enamel/whatever that coats the pencils?

[di]

Would they blow around anymore than wood shavings? Not sure. Perhaps mixed up with coffee grounds and animal bedding.


VC, they all come with a 'non toxic' label, so I don't know what they use to coat them.

[Jeanied]

I am sure they will be safe to use - after all, kids often tend to chew the end of their pencils. But they are much lighter than wood chips so I'd compost them instead.

[di]

But they'd look so pretty as a mulch.

[Feral007]

If you are a bit OCD you might even colour code the plants and shavings

[di]

Thankfully, I'm not

[Two_Sheds]

If you are a bit OCD you might even colour code the plants and shavings

At school I have to have the coloured pencils in harmonious order: yellows & reds together, blues & greens kept separate


I'm 41

[babyjohnny]

pencil "lead" is made from graphite & clay - i wouldnt worry about the paint if the pencils are new - in 2010 the EU cut the number of VOC's in paint to make them less harmful to the environment!

i use to chew the tops off when i was younger and it didnt do me any harm.... hic-hic-hic@dhuifwhi