Adopting sustainable and eco-friendly means of living is the way forward in conserving our planet. An innovative, eco-friendly wooden pencil that delightfully grows into a plant absolutely syncs with the notion of green living.
This "plantable" pencil sold by the startup company Sprout World comes with a seed embedded into its stub. Instead of an eraser, a seed capsule is placed at the end of the pencil. Once it is done being used and is down to its stub, it can be planted into the soil and, when nurtured, sprouts into either flowers, herbs or vegetables.
The capsule end of the pencil should be planted into the soil and watered regularly. Within a span of one to three weeks, the seeds will germinate into either an herb variety, such as rosemary or basil, flowering plants like roses or marigolds, or veggies like green peppers. The seeds come in a variety of plant forms.
Sprout World, which is based outside of Copenhagen, Denmark, is promoting this relatively simple sustainable concept in a bid to go green.
"We as individuals know we cannot save the planet, but we can do things little by little, we can take small steps in our everyday life. That's what people have in mind when they buy a Sprout pencil. You can feel you can make a difference by buying something you don't have to throw out afterward, but plant it instead to give it a new life," Michael Stausholm, Sprout's chief executive officer, told The Huffington Post.
The idea of a sustainable pencil was created in 2012 by three Massachusetts Institute of Technology students. Sprout World bought the idea from them and launched its company in 2014.
The concept has remarkably caught on to the fancy of people around the globe, with sales steadily increasing. In 2015, the company's sales reportedly hit the $2 million mark, and it expects this number to double by the end of 2016. Its clientele is also impressive, with conglomerates such as Disney, Marriot, Bank of America and Ikea purchasing these innovative pencils as a gift-bag novelties.
These eco-friendly pencils can be purchased by anyone and are available on the company website, on Amazon and in Whole Foods Supermarkets.
