This document describes the life cycle of a Bic ballpoint pen from obtaining raw materials through disposal. It discusses six stages: 1) obtaining raw materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, tungsten and ink components, 2) manufacturing through molding, assembly and quality testing, 3) transporting from the factory in Tarragona, Spain to stores, 4) using and potentially recharging the pen, 5) recycling pen components which are usually reused to make new pens, and 6) improper disposal in landfills or rare burning since components can be recycled. The document aims to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of everyday products throughout their full life cycles.

1. PRODUCT’S LIFE IN SIX STAGES
WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT
THE ENVIROMENT.

2. INDEX
INTRODUCTION
1ªSTAGE: OBTAINING RAW MATERIAL
2ªSTAGE: MANUFACTURING
3ªSTAGE: TRANSPORTING TO A HOUSE OR BUSSINES
4ªSTAGE: USING AND REHUSING
5ªSTAGE: RECYCLING
6ªSTAGE: DISPOSAL IN A LANDFILL OR BURNING

3. INTRODUCCION
When we buy something, we have keep in mind that the raw material of the
product is not harmful to the environment because, in these last decades have
gone much flora and fauna due to poaching and illegal logging. For example, if
you buy fruit other than seasonal, seasonal fruit should be stored and they defile
because you need several things: fuel from the truck that transports it, obtaining
the resources used to make a store, electricity . Because believe it or not a
simple product can leave a lot of pollution. This presentation will describe the
life of an everyday product: Bic ballpoint pen

4. 1ªSTAGE: OBTANING RAW MATERIAL
• Bic pen body is made of polyethylene and the cap is
made of polypropylene.
• The load and tip are made of wolfram or tungsten, a
rare metal that costs 38,529.927 US dollars / tone.
• The ink is composed of hydrochloric acid tannic, gallic
and diluted with phenol (iron sulfate) and a blue
tint, all these components are in tiny amounts that a
mixture in large quantities can become deadly for the
living beings

5. 2ªSTAGE: MANUFACTURING
• The first step is make the body, that it make
polyethylene factory in molds, the same process
with the cap but with liquid polypropylene.
• After you do the tip cutting with precise machine,
the ball tip must to have a diameter of 1 mm, at
the same time the ink’s container and the ink are
doing, later the ink is injected then it centrifuged
to remove any air bubble. Next assembled
everything an d do a test of quality
• Finally you do the details as the name of trade.

6. 3ªSTAGE: TRANSPORTING TO A HOUSE OR A
BUSSINES
• In Spain, the Bic’s Factory of pen is in
Tarragona, from there is distributed the
pen for many stores an the stores sell to
the business and the business sell our. It
do many pollution when is transporting.

7. 4ªSTAGE: USE Y REUSE
• When we have the pen it has the ability to
do a line of 4km, you can recharge it, if is
possible. When the pen not wok is
because there are a air bubble or because
the tip is break

8. 5ªSTAGE: RECICLE
• All of the remains are recyclable, normally
is use to do an other pen but it isn´t
always. Normally when it do a new pen
the only work that do is to inject ink.

9. 6ªSTAGE: DISPOSAL IN A LANDFILL OR
BURNING
• There are occasions that the user doesn´t
recycle the pen and it dispose of in the
equivocate container. Hardly never the
pen burn

10. AND FINALLY WE HAVE OUR PEN
Adiel Roca Flores 2ºC