It’s indoor time – time to clear the air.

We spend an average of 90% of our time indoors, and 65% of our time inside our homes, according to the National Safety Council, which means that our indoor air quality is crucial to our well-being. Our modern, airtight homes do a good job of preventing energy loss, but they are also doing a good job of trapping pollutants within our homes – in fact, our indoor air can be up to 10 times worse for us than outdoor air.

Here are EcoSmart’s top 5 easy ways to improve indoor air – whether at home, at the office or in school –just in time for the winter shut-in!

1. Use non-toxic cleaning and office supplies. AusPen non-toxic markers save you from breathing xylene and other harmful chemicals.
2. Believe it or not, let plants purify your air! The best indoor plants that remove trace chemicals are: peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies.
3. Clean drapes, carpets and absorbent fabrics in furniture that trap dust mites and other allergens.
4. When decorating or remodelling, choose materials that have low or no VOCs. Flooring, paint, and blinds all have eco-friendly alternatives.
5. Get a professional air duct cleaning to remove all the dust from the furnace and vents. (Bonus: get fresh air as you run through the neighborhood chasing the indoor cat who escaped during the air duct cleaning!)

Green Schools: Practicing the 3Rs

Check out this video from the Lazy Envionmentalist in which a teacher showcases his new class set of AusPen non-toxic, refillable markers.

How to go Green at School or Work

Tips for a more sustainable school or workplace
From AusPen Eco-Friendly Markers

Whether at school or in the office, activities to tread lighter on the earth can be fun and bring everyone together, even if there is no extra budget for going green! Try this tip for some collective and competitive fun:


Divide yourselves into Eco-Tribes for earth, air, water and fire.

The Earth Tribe can take care of initiatives to recycle, compost and reduce solid waste that is normally generated.

The Air Tribe can source out non-toxic supplies that will help clean the air of toxins and allow people with chemical sensitivities or allergies to breathe better.

The Water Tribe can look for ways to reduce water consumption, collect rainwater for gardens, or eliminate the use of wasteful water bottles.

The Fire Tribe can focus on ways to reduce energy consumption by getting power-saving bulbs, power cords that can be switched off, and creating an awareness around turning off lights and monitors.

Just imagine all that can be done: challenges, awards, posters, tribe names, and milestone celebrations. Going green just got fun.


Learn more about how AusPen Eco-Friendly Markers can reduce your exposure to toxins and drastically cut down on your solid waste at school or in the office, while saving money. Visit http://www.ecosmartworld.com

Going Green with Refillable Markers

Are your school or office supplies unnecessarily contributing to solid waste? Are you tired of constantly throwing out dried up plastic markers?

AusPen eco-friendly dry-erase markers are a unique solution. Not only are AusPen markers non-toxic, but they are also refillable. Markers running low on ink can be topped up and used again and again – no trash can, no waste. And at the end of the AusPen’s long life, the marker goes in the recycling bin since it is made of 100% recycled aluminum. The cost savings amount to approximately 70% the cost of disposable markers. AusPen’s health, environmental and cost benefits add up to a triple threat.

The value of refillable markers – not what you’d think

Whenever something that belongs to my kids doesn’t work, there’s a moment of hesitation, and then, fling! Away it goes. So much in their world is disposable, replaceable and broken. So many of their things hold no real value.

That’s why the concept of the AusPen refillable whiteboard (dry-erase) marker may take a moment to wrap our minds around. Add drops of ink to the marker and keep on using it? When eventually the nib frays, turn it around and use the other end? After countless refills, when the aluminum marker has had its day, throw it in the recycling bin instead of the garbage? Well, it must cost a fortune.

The irony is that goods that are designed to have a short user-lifespan, such as regular whiteboard markers, cost considerably more, 70% more in the case of regular whiteboard markers compared to the AusPen.

Consider the message to children in a class where a teacher can hold up the AusPen kit – 6 markers with their refill inks – and say, “Because of this kit I am not going to throw away 246 toxic, non-biodegradable markers into our local landfill.” Imagine the children’s thoughts. Imagine the impact on their actions. Imagine the value in that.