From natural rubber to recycled material: what plastics are school supplies made of today
21 August 2026
As the new school year begins, millions of pencil cases, school bags and pens find their way into children’s hands. Many of these school supplies are made from selected plastics or rubber. Key criteria for material selection include properties such as transparency, impact resistance and abrasion resistance. Recycled materials and bioplastics are now also being used more and more frequently.
At a glance
- Every school item has its own material requirements: a set square needs different properties to an eraser or a school bag.
- Many of these items have a long history of material development – from natural rubber through the first plastics to today’s recycled materials.
- Recycled and bio-based materials work well in everyday school life, but they also have their limitations when it comes to durability or recyclability.
What’s in a school bag today
School supplies demonstrate how important it is to prioritise functionality when choosing materials:
- Rulers and set squares are usually made from polystyrene (PS) or the higher-quality PMMA (acrylic glass) – both crystal-clear, dimensionally stable and retaining their shape, ensuring that scales and edges remain precise.
- Ballpoint pens and fountain pens often use ABS, polypropylene (PP) or PS: impact-resistant, easy to colour and comfortable to hold.
- Erasers are available as rubber erasers (made from natural or synthetic rubber) and as plastic erasers (made from soft PVC or PVC-free thermoplastic elastomers). Whichever type is used, the key factor is how effectively it erases whilst absorbing the graphite.
- ’ school bags, rucksacks and pencil cases can be made from polyester fabric (PET) . They are therefore usually particularly tear-resistant, lightweight and weather-resistant; increasingly, these items are also being manufactured from recycled PET (rPET).
- Lunch boxes and water bottles are made from PP or Tritan (a copolyester): food-safe, shatterproof and dishwasher-safe.
A look back: the history of materials used in school supplies
Many school supplies have a long history of material development. The eraser, for example, came about by chance: right up until the 18th century, pencil marks were erased using crumbled breadcrumbs. In 1770, the British instrument maker Edward Nairne accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of a ball of bread – and discovered its erasing power. It was only through vulcanisation, discovered by Charles Goodyear in 1839, that sticky natural rubber was transformed into a durable elastomer.
Writing instruments also tell the story of materials: early fountain pens were made from ebonite, a hard rubber, and celluloid – the latter, developed around 1868 by John Wesley Hyatt, is considered one of the first thermoplastics and replaced ivory. In the early 20th century, Leo Hendrik Baekeland applied for a patent for Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, which was later used to make casings, switches and pen components.
The materials come from the industry
Finished school supplies are made from raw materials supplied by compounders and materials manufacturers.
Exhibitors at K are developing precisely the bioplastics and recycled materials that are increasingly finding their way into consumer goods: FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, for example, offers bio-based and recycled compounds and explicitly cites writing instruments as an area of application. , The Compound Company B.V., develops recycled compounds for consumer goods applications, , whilst BIOTEC specialises in starch-based biopolymers. They showcase the materials behind everyday products.
Did you know?
The German word ‘Radiergummi’ (eraser) derives from the Latin radere – to scratch or scrape. Before Edward Nairne discovered the erasing properties of rubber in 1770, schoolchildren had been using breadcrumbs to erase for centuries.