Everywhere we go, we come across the topic of sustainability. This mega trend continues unabated, and a product range without any eco-friendly alternatives is simply inconceivable these days. Some interesting products were unveiled at Insights-X in October.
Pencils made from FSC-certified wood are increasingly becoming a matter of course. But the edugreen coloured pencils from eagle kreativ have even more environmentally friendly features. For example, they are coated with a water-based eco-clear varnish. The colour coding at the end of the pencil also uses a coloured eco-water-based varnish. The labelling on the pencil is made of biodegradable embossing foil. The raw materials for the packaging come from sustainable wood and recycled materials. And since creative work with the pencils is, of course, also important, the extra-soft 5 mm leads ensure bright bold colours without the need to press down hard.
Dutch label Komoni uses 100% recycled paper for its journals and agendas. They come as completely blank, lined or dotted, depending on whether they are meant to serve as diaries, bullet journals or sketchbooks. Instead of cardboard, they are enclosed in a sturdy wooden cover made of MDF scrap wood. The books contain about 100 pages when first delivered and are refillable. They come in many different designs in the most frequently used European paper sizes of A6, A5 or A4. Their special highlight is the laser-cut holes in the wooden cover, which give the motifs a slightly 3D effect.
Cards, wrapping paper and the like are increasingly being made from grass paper with the aim of cutting down fewer trees. The new Natura series from ABC contains recycled paper as well as at least 30% sun-dried grass from compensation areas and fallow land. The paper is recyclable and 100% FSC certified. For environmental reasons, no cellophane packaging is used. The 32 printed cards showcase expressive paintings by international artist Anne Pryor, which radiate a cheerful positive energy. A touch of metallic gold foil lettering with good wishes for various occasions make the cards look classy.
NewPen also foregoes chopping down trees to make its pencils. They’re not made of wood but recycled paper, or to be more precise, newspapers people have finished reading. Each pencil is absolutely unique, easy to sharpen, doesn’t break and lasts longer. No toxic materials are used in the production of these special writing instruments and the amount of energy consumed is low.
Moyu notebooks, pads and planners are made without any trees, water or bleach. Instead, they use stone paper made from 80% limestone and 20% recycled and recyclable plastic. Thanks to the water-repellent property of stone paper, anything written with Frixion ink can be easily and completely wiped off with a damp cloth, even if the ink has been on the page for months! This means that each page can be written on up to 500 times. Due to its water-repellent properties, other liquids can’t damage the paper in the event of mishaps and it doesn’t tear or crease as easily as normal cellulose paper either. Moyu stone paper is 100% recyclable, as evidenced by a silver Cradle to Cradle certificate. In addition, Moyu and its partner Trees For Kenya plant a tree in Kenya for every notebook sold.
There is more to sustainability than just reduce, reuse and recycle. There is also renature, refill, rewrite and more aspects that your customers will increasingly ask about.
About the author
Gabriela Kaiser has been the owner of a trend agency since 2002, after working 6 years as designer for knitwear. She visits trade fairs as a trend scout and gives lectures there. She advises companies from industry and trade on upcoming trends and writes regularly for various trade magazines.
