Upcycled newspaper pencils (for offices, shops and schools)

Treesaver offers eco-friendly and colouring pencils for shops, offices and schools.

Why choose eco-friendly pencils?

Millions of pencils exist across England, whether for drawing, sketching or just scribbling notes in offices, the kitchen or at school. But was with most things, this comes with environmental consequences.

Years ago, most pencils contained lead (which were toxic to all creatures including us). But today most pencils are made from soft cedarwood (easy to sharpen). However, this has caused mass deforestation, with around 82,000 trees cut down each year to make the world’s 14 billion or so pencils.

Add to that the toxic paints used to colour the nibs and outside (and the plastic packaging) and you can see the issues. Plus when pencils are littered, their slim size means they get missed by filters, and often end up in the sea, where they can puncture and harm marine creatures, especially soft-bellied ones.

Cedar wood is usually from ‘sustainable forests’. But this still means great mono cultures of trees grown with pesticides. And most cedar is from California, so that’s a huge carbon footprint in shipping the wood here to make pencils that often people never use (one may be taken out of a pack, and the rest thrown in a drawer).

And due to the paints used to coat them, they don’t just break down (you can’t put them in compost bins). So that’s more landfill waste to last for hundreds of years.

Keep pencils away from young children and pets, and never litter them (they end up in the sea, and you will know how it hurts, if you ever accidentally stabbed your hand with a pencil or pen.

Most plantable pencils use seeds from abroad (not native species) and many flowers, herbs and onions are toxic to pets. Only use them if made with native seeds, and for pet-free homes/gardens.

Where to recycle plastic pencils and pens

Terracycle offers a free writing instruments recycling programme, sponsored by industry. Just order a box for your office, school or community then everyone can deposit unwanted pens, pencils, highlighters, correction fluids, felt-tips pens and erasers.

You can download a poster to display near the recycling box, and all items are sent off to be made into other things (like park benches).