Writing utensils such as pens and pencils often only have one purpose, leading them to turn into landfill waste after use. However, the Sprout Pencil designs offer a creative environmentally friendly solution by embedding the pencil with seeds so that it can be planted to turn into a shrub after use.
The Sprout Pencils are project put together by a group of students from MIT that are made from biodegradable materials. The bodies of the pencils are infused with tiny capsules filled with herb and flower seeds that grow into full plants once the pencil is planted in soil.
Products with an environmentally friendly dual purpose allow consumers to feel less guilty after purchasing one time use commodities.
Plantable Sprout Pencils
The Sprout Pencils are Environmentally Friendly by Turning into Shrubs
Trend Themes
1. Environmentally Friendly Writing Utensils - Creating writing utensils that can be planted and grow into plants after use presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the stationery industry.
2. Biodegradable Materials in Manufacturing - Using biodegradable materials to make everyday products like pencils opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in the sustainable materials industry.
3. Dual Purpose Products - Developing products with a dual purpose, such as pencils that can be planted, has the potential to disrupt the market by appealing to eco-conscious consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Stationery - The stationery industry can explore the disruptive innovation potential of developing eco-friendly writing utensils with a sustainable afterlife.
2. Sustainable Materials - The sustainable materials industry can capitalize on the opportunity to create biodegradable products, like the Sprout Pencil, that align with environmentally conscious consumer preferences.
3. Eco-friendly Products - The market for eco-friendly products can benefit from dual-purpose innovations, such as pencils that can be planted, by offering sustainable alternatives to single-use items.