How Green Is Your Backpack?

By Nana Esi Agyei-Gyamfi

The item I chose for this assignment was a black Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker.

1. What are the raw materials and from where do they come? Propylene and ethylene were
raw materials for the plastic resin. Polyester, powder, water, cyclic alkylene carbonates,
and Permachrome (which required propanol, butanol, diacetone alcohol, and dye
coloring) were also used.
2. What are the processes converting them from raw material to the form it is now? What
types of energy, water, and other materials are needed in these processes? First, the ink
was concocted. 1-10% of water by weight was preferably used for the complete
dissolution of the dye. The remainder of the weight of the water content was used as a
solvent: alkylene carbonate. Permachrome was also used in the ink formation. Second,
the making of the marker took place. Plastic resin was injection-molded into the barrel of
the marker. For this to have happened, the plastic resin was heated into a molten state,
forced into the mold of the desired shape, cooled and hardened. The same was done for
the cap and plug. Made from powder and water, the tip of the marker was also molded
and baked into its form. Then, an assembler placed a polyester cylinder inside the marker
barrel to form a reservoir for the ink, filled the reservoir with ink, and inserted the tip at
the bottom and the cap at the top. Along with other Sharpie permanent markers, this
marker was shipped by a carboard box. The box was made from pine trees using a
sulphate process: alkaline solutions was used to digest the wood, and sodium sulphate
was used to increase the strength of the pulp. After processing, the fibers were sent to the
paper machine to be formed, pressed, dried, and rolled to become a cardboard box.
3. How long will this product be in use? When it is done, are there alternative uses? If the
marks of this sharpie contacted a nonporous surface outside, the marks would last 3-4
months. If the marks of this sharpie contacted a porous surface, like paper, inside, the
marks would last for several years. However, if the ink from this marker ran out, its ink
body would not be replaceable. Therefore, there are no alternative uses.
4. When it is no longer useful, what will become of these materials? How does it fit in the
materials hierarchy? The chemicals of this permanent ink are biodegradable. The excess
ink, or liquid ink, of this marker cannot be dumped down a drain, but must be combined
with an absorbent material and disposed of like a solid. It is also against federal
regulations to discharge any contents of the ink to a sewer system that could change the
color of the contents within that system.
5. Can you envision alternative materials to support the same function, but which are more
sustainable? No, before I researched information about this Sharpie marker, I wasn’t very
 familiar with the materials used to make it. So, I’m not sure I can envision more
sustainable materials to use to make this product.

IMPACTS:
Like other Sharpie markers, this permanent marker contains a harmful chemical called xylene. In
an online article titled “Side Effects of Sharpies,” a man named Robert Shifko quoted, “Xylene is
a powerful chemical compound that is found in many household and industrial items…Exposure
to xylene in any fashion whether it be inhaled, ingested, skin contact or eye contact can cause
some harmful health effects.” Some of these health effects are in the nervous system, such as
vomiting, nausea, and headaches. When the marks of a Sharpie permanent marker contact skin,
this is a risk because chemicals such as butanol, propanol, and diacetone alcohol enter the body.
This can result in the loss of red blood cells, chest pain, and shortness of breath. In conclusion,
inhaling the scent of and the human contact with the marks of a Sharpie permanent marker are
TOXIC and can ultimately result in DEATH!

Sources used for this assignment:

-madehow.com/Volume-3/Marker.html (for numbers 1, 2, and 4)
-sharpie.com/faqs (for numbers 3)
-www.designlife-cycle.com/shape (for numbers 1, 3, and 4)
-littlebighistoryofsharpies.weebly.com/side-effects-of-sharpies.html (for IMPACTS)