Using newspapers for barrels and recycling wastewater are becoming prevalent practices.
Pencil suppliers in China are carving a niche in the low-carbon market with the release of models made of paper instead of wood.
While a handful of companies launched similar products way back in the 1990s, the number of manufacturers trying their hand at the emerging segment is rising.
Wood-based products have long been positioned as environment-friendly but utilizing old paper can help conserve forest resources. To illustrate, 10,000 pencils would use up 30 to 40kg of newspaper, which is equivalent to 0.5 cubic meters of timber.
Carbon dioxide emission is also minimized especially if old materials are directly employed since usage of water, electricity and gas during the recycling process is smaller.
Because of their lower material and manufacturing outlay, paper pencils are 30 to 50 percent less expensive than wood counterparts of the same writing quality.
Currently, however, they remain a secondary line among makers and are unlikely to overtake wood barrels. Output is still far from meeting market demand, and it would be very difficult to catch up with traditional pencils’ massive production.
Even suppliers in the mainstream are taking the sustainable route. Some companies, for instance, are using timber from fast-maturing trees such as poplar, or even composite wood panels. The materials are processed to achieve the quality of basswood, a reliable but slow-growing variety.
More makers using paper
Among mainland China’s pioneers in paper pencil production is Save-Forest Writing Instrument (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, having released its first model in 1996. The World Wildlife Foundation and the Environment Protection Department of Hong Kong are some of its earliest customers.
Paper-barrel graphite pencils from the company are priced from $0.021 to $0.028 each.
Exporting previously to the US and the EU only, Save-Forest has started tapping alternative markets. In the first quarter of 2010, it received an order from an India client, and got a repeat requisition within five months. Thanks to the market potential of paper-based products, the supplier has been experiencing YoY sales growth of 20 percent since 2008.
The ISO 14001-certified maker carries out ecologically safe processes for the production of low-carbon pencils. It boasts an in-house water-recycling system, which uses dust generated from barrel polishing to filter wastewater. The resulting liquid undergoes biological oxidation and precipitation to complete the cleaning process.
Save-Forest utilizes treated wastewater for flushing the toilets, washing its machines and gardening. This helps the manufacturer reduce operating costs by about 10 percent.
Harbin Qilai Eco-friendly Science & Tech. Development Co. Ltd started producing paper barrel pencils in September 2009. Models served as souvenirs for Expo 2010 Shanghai, and were part of the low-carbon exhibits.
Seeing the bright prospects for the line, Yiwu Da Feng Pen-Making Co. Ltd shifted its focus from fluorescent sticks to paper pencils in 2008. Last year, the supplier shipped OEM designs to UNICEF Hong Kong.
Overall, the mainland’s pencil export industry is on a recovery path. Orders are picking up again after deteriorating last year.
In 2008 and 2009, many small and midsize companies experienced a 10 to 50 percent decline in shipments due to the economic slump.
Large enterprises such as Save-Forest and China First Pencil Co. Ltd, however, remained steadfast and even registered sales increases in the previous year. Both expect revenue growth to carry on through 2010. more on Paper barrels lead eco-friendly trend