Make your children environment saviours by introducing them to recyclable paper pencils that can be planted

By Vick Rana,

Have you ever thought of turning old, used tiny stubs of pencils into a plant? You might not have heard about this, but one would definitely start loving this concept once used to recycled pencils. Every year we cut down about 8 million trees to make around 2 billion pencils. In such times, sustainable pencils are saviours to the environment.

A viable solution

Sustainable pencils are pencils that are not made of wood but are rolled from recyclable paper. Eco-friendly in nature, these pencils are plantable. They have water soluble capsules which have seeds of herbs and vegetables, making the pencils plantable and balancing the carbon imprint. With no trace of wood, old paper that goes to waste is recycled and rolled into pencils.

On an average, one kid uses 3-4 pencils a month. Multiply the number by the number of children, sketchers we have in the country and we have tons of wooden stubs of pencils dumped at landfills. And to create more, millions of trees are felled and the circle continues. While we all are grappling with the climate crisis, felling more trees and poorly managing wastes is not at all an option, all for the sake of a pencil. Therefore, recycled pencils become the best solution and the perfect alternative for wooden pencils. A child opting for eco-friendly pencils by buying recycled, plantable ones is giving back to nature and contributing to saving the environment. Not just this, but it is also a tiny way to reduce one’s carbon imprint and avoid unnecessary damage to nature.

But why recycled pencils?

Recycled pencils are the need of the hour and it is heartening to see several young brands coming forward to address the issue and offer a variety for children to choose from the green alternatives. What is even more exciting is that these pencils turn out to be much better in quality and long-lasting than their wooden counterparts. The nib does not break easily and the paper-rolling process makes it very sturdy for a good grip in comparison to wooden ones. Mostly, such pencils are all extra dark graphite nibs, enabling children to unleash their power of creativity. As we all know, children love to use varieties of pencils. And pencils with a surprise of seeds is a delight among kids of all ages. Pencils are also widely used for drawing and sketching purposes.

Pencils enlighten early learning as well as creative skills among infants. But when you use the widely available, conventional wooden pencils available across the country, you are not being a responsible citizen and acting to save the environment around you. It is a known fact that wooden pencil manufacturing leads to deforestation on a massive scale, adding up to the environmental crisis.

However, when we introduce children to such alternative options, we are not only inspiring them to use their imaginations and creativity to play with the innovative products, but also instill the right values of caring for the environment and make them the green citizens of tomorrow who would be mindful about using resources as they grow up.

The curiosity of a child’s mind will be eager to try out these new kinds of alternative pencils that will eventually reunite and take them closer to nature. Once that happens, there is no looking back for the child; they will gradually start understanding the needing for living life in a sustainable way. Just like charity, sustainability too begins at home.

Using eco-friendly products while we battle several environmental issues, making children adapt green practices will be an inspiration for children and adults alike to appreciate, admire and value nature, and further contribute towards making our planet a better place to live.

(The author is Group Chairman, Red Ridge Global. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)