03 Sep The Sprout Pencil
Each day, 135 million plastic ball point pens are produced worldwide. This is a huge amount of plastic, but you can fight plastic waste with a 100% biodegradable plantable pencil that grows into herbs, vegetables and flowers when you’re done using them instead.
Sprout Pencil is a zero-waste alternative to traditional lead pencils and plastic pens for those wanting to make a more eco-friendly swap, the world’s only patented plantable pencil that grows into vegetables, flowers and herbs when you’ve finished using them.
Instead of throwing them out when they become too small to use, just plant them into soil, and water – the capsule cleverly dissolves and will sprout into anything from cherry tomato plants, sage and basil, to carnations and sunflowers. It’s a great way of demonstrating sustainability and encouraging people to think about recycling, innovation in natural materials and the environment, in celebration of Zero Waste Week (7-11 September).
Fans include the likes of Michelle Obama (who used the pencils to promote the publication of her book Becoming) and Richard Branson (who gifts the pencils as a souvenir to his guests on Necker Island).
Quick facts
- 100% natural – made from sustainably harvested cedar wood, graphite and clay
- The capsule is non-toxic and plant-based. And it’s perfectly safe if you accidentally chew on (or even eat) the capsule!
- Variety of non-GMO seeds including basil, cherry tomato, chia, sage, thyme, sunflower, carnation, coriander, daisy and forget-me-not flowers
- Sustainable, zero-waste, plastic-free and lead-free. 100% biodegradable and will decompose safely
- Here’s a time-lapse of the sprouting pencil in action
More details here.