Just like the name suggests, plantable stationeries are writing materials made out of biodegradable materials embedded with the seeds of various plants! 📝 Biodegradable materials include eco-paper made with post-consumer paper waste, water-soluble ink, starch-based plastics, and more. These environmentally-friendly alternatives are used hand-in-hand to make high-quality stationery that can fulfil its primary purpose before leaving you with seeds to plant!
Once you've planted your stationery, the biodegradable materials composts away in the soil and you're left with wonderful herbs, flowers or vegetables 🌱🌻
Why should you choose plantables?
One pencil or one hard-cover notebook may just be ‘a small piece of plastic’ to us, but it’s single-use nature is leaving much more waste that we can imagine! About 14 BILLION pencils are manufactured globally, and this requires an astounding 80,000 trees to meet the demands. While pencils are definitely more eco-friendly than plastic pens, they can only be recycled if the wood used is untreated ♻️
While it may seem insignificant at first, the decisions we make to change the small habits in life will leave a big impact on the environment. For most of us, stationery is a necessity in our daily lives - so why not make a small switch to plantables to start your sustainability journey?
And let's not forget - plantable stationery also leaves you with an amazing surprise once it’s served its primary purpose! 🌱 Plant a variety of herbs easily with your plantables and you’re not only saving a few dollars on your consequent grocery trips - but you’ve also earned bragging rights to tell others about how your plant came from a pencil 😉
How to plant your plantable stationeries
Planting your plantable stationery may seem confusing or intimidating at the start, but it's much more simple than you'd expect! Here's how you can plant your plantable stationery at home once you're done using them 🌱
Here are some materials you need to get started:
- A pot for planting
- Plotting soil
- Water & A sunny corner ☀️
#1 Planting Seed Paper
Seed paper are plantable papers made of recycled biodegradable post-consumer paper waste embedded with seeds. These plantable papers are used for notebook covers, post cards, bookmarks, and more! They are often printed with water-soluble inks, making them 100% biodegradable with minimal effects on the environment.
Step 1: Cut up the seed paper into smaller pieces
Step 2: Fill up 2/3 of your pot with soil before placing the paper and covering it with a thin layer of soil (about 1/8 of an inch)
Step 3: Water regularly until the seed germinates and starts to sprout. Keep the soil moist at all times, but do not let water pool.
Step 4: Ensure your plant gets plenty of sunlight and water as it grows!
#2 Planting Plantable Pens & Pencils
Plantable pens & pencils are made out of recycled biodegradable post-consumer papers and have germinating seeds enclosed in a plantable capsule at the bottom of the barrel. These capsules may look like plastic at first glance, but they're actually starch-based!
Step 1: Fill up 2/3 of your pot with soil
Step 2: Place your pencil/pen into the soil with the capsule facing down
Step 3: Water regularly until the seed germinates and starts to sprout. Keep the soil moist at all times, but do not let water pool.
Step 4: Ensure your plant gets plenty of sunlight and water as it grows!
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The Social Space Plantable Stationery
♻️ Keen to kickstart your sustainability journey with some plantable stationery? The Social Space has just launched our very own line of plantable notebooks, pens, pencils and postcards! Lovingly designed in collaboration with an aspiring eco-artist, our unique plantable stationery is the perfect eco-friendly gift for others (or yourself 😉)
Click here to view our collection! 🌱
Written by Insyirah, Retail & Marketing Intern 2023
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