I made an impulse purchase the other day at a store in Chelsea Market: a $2 ballpoint “GLO” pen. GLO stands for “Global Learning Outreach,” and sales proceeds help fund student scholarships and educational grants (learn more on the Project GLO website).

I’ve never been a huge fan of ballpoint pens, but these ones are pretty cool. They’re made from biodegradable paper and “corn plastic,” which apparently takes 65% less energy to produce and can be composted, incinerated, or recycled. Performance is as you’d expect — no better or worse than a Bic — and of course you’re also contributing to a very worthy cause.

Given, as I recently discovered, that 6 billion pens are thrown out in the US each year, it seems like a good investment. If you’re interested, you can buy one online, or see if there are any local retailers near where you live.