Pencils, an ubiquitous tool around the world massively used by students, particularly those enrolled in primary and secondary education, are normally not the product of a recycling process. Yet, calls to “substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse”. In light of this, but also given the environmental impact of the production of wooden pencils, students from the , a UNAI member institution in India, developed an innovative solution.
It is estimated that over 8 million trees are being chopped annually to produce pencils that we use on a daily basis. Over 13 million hectares of forests are lost to deforestation, out of which 36% is for paper manufacturing and 42% is for manufacturing timber-based products that constitutes about 18-20 billion pencils. Moreover, nearly 85 billion tons of paper waste are generated each year and 40% of them end up in landfills. In addition to landfills, 9 billion used pens are thrown away all over the world annually, accounting to plastic accumulation.
With this reality in mind, the ‘Kaagith’ project was born. This project is aimed at creating paper based pens and pencils. Around 40 students have spent several hours working on it, creating products out of recycled materials, while liaising with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of this project are passed on to local and vulnerable groups. The overall objective is to focus on reducing dependence on wood for pens by using recycling and in the process, also provide livelihoods to underprivileged communities.
Discarded newspapers and papers are being used to manufacture pencils and pens. In adidition to this, seeds are embedded in both pens and pencils to promote afforestation, in line with the provisions of , which in its target 15.2 specifically calls to “substantially increase” such efforts, globally. Plantable seeds which are embedded in these pens and pencils potentially can germinate and become a tree or a plant when discarded properly, and thereby aid at promoting afforestation while at the same time, reducing carbon footprints.
‘Kaagith’ products are available in multiple colors to appeal aesthetically to potential consumers. Products are also provided in customizable kits to encourage companies promote eco-friendly practices. The direct beneficiaries of this project include paper waste collectors who supply raw materials and domestic migrant workers who assist in the manufacturing of these products. “Caught up in this COVID-19 pandemic, this team gave us a ray of hope,” highlights Prabhu B, a domestic migrant worker from the state of Bihar, in eastern India.
The sales of the products make local retailers indirect beneficiaries by allowing them to obtain a substantial income. The team in charge of the project expects that more than 200 families are likely to be positively impacted in the short term. “The mid-term and the long term prospects of the revenues look very promising,” says Mothieshwar.J.K, team leader. They also expect to scale up this project by entering into formal arrangements to manufacture and market the products at a much larger level.