Faber-Castell Sustainability Actions

From the tree to the pencil

Faber-Castell is the pioneer in its field of business in matters of environment-friendly industrial production methods and securing a long-term source of timber was foremost in its corporate thoughts as far back as the mid-1980s. In Brazil, the company uses fast-growing softwood from its managed forests and maintains its own tree nurseries. Saplings are continually planted out to replace each row of trees felled: a sustainable ecological cycle. Around 300,000 young trees of the type Pinus caribaea are planted and raised each year on a total area of some 10,000 hectares (100 km²), thousands of miles from the endangered Amazon rainforests. After 20 to 23 years they are large enough to be harvested as environmentally compatible raw material for black-lead and colour pencils. Not just the materials used but also the development, production methods, and disposal of all kinds of waste are subjected to critical analysis. For example, Faber-Castell played a pioneering role in the use of environment-friendly water-based paint for coating its wooden-cased pencils.

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Biodiversity

One third of the company’s own forests in Brazil are native environment preserved and have become a biotope for rare animal and plant species. It is home to meanwhile 716 animal and plant species, such as white-eared puffbird. Of these, 50 species are threatened with extinction elsewhere.

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Carbon-neutral production

Faber-Castell’s own forests in Prata, south-east Brazil, capture 900,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). This was confirmed by TÜV Rheinland® in 2012. The 10,000 hectares of forests therefore not only secure our sustainable wood needs, but also help decrease the burden on the atmosphere through photosynthesis, in which CO2 is converted into biomass. This means that the pine trees and the natural forests in Prata, neutralise the climate- relevant carbon footprint of Faber-Castell production sites around the world. One third of the forests remain natural and have become a habitat for rare plant and animal species. In addition to conserving resources, respect for the environment also plays a key role for Faber-Castell.

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Use of recycled plastics

High-performance plastic ensures the quality and longevity of products. For example, it protects the ink of writing instruments from drying out, so that the pens can be used longer and less waste is produced. Nevertheless, it is the declared corporate goal of the Faber-Castell Group to continuously reduce the proportion of conventional plastics worldwide or to replace them with recycled materials in order to further improve our carbon footprint. Since 2016, pencils have been made from recyclate, i.e. from reused plastics. For this purpose, plastic waste is processed and used as a new raw material in production. More and more production sites, e.g. the plant in Engelhartszell, Austria, are now successfully using recyclate, so that more and more recycled plastic products are already on the market. In these products, the casing is mainly made of recycled material. At the same time, disposable packaging is being substituted by paper or recycled plastic. To further extend the life of the products, many products are refillable.

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PVC-free eraser​

As a world leader in the production of erasers, Faber-Castell avoids the use of harmful softeners. The eraser is produced under strict quality control and are PVC-free.

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Refillable

Every product contains valuable raw materials. To extend their usability, this product can be refilled.

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Recycled plastic / recycled cardboard

Faber-Castell works on reducing plastics or replacing them with recycled materials. The products or packaging are made of recycled plastic or cardboard.

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Recyclable cardboard

The packaging is made of recyclable cardboard.

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Ecological sustainability

One third of the company's own forests remain untouched and provide habitats for around 660 indigenous animal and plant species. We sustainably manage 10,000 hectares of its own pine forests. These provide the raw material for our pencils and cover 86 percent of our worldwide wood demand. Every year, around 300,000 seedlings are planted in the company's own forests. We are growing one truckload of wood per hour. Every product contains valuable raw materials. To extend their usability, many products can be refilled. The Faber-Castell Group works on reducing plastics or replacing them with recycled materials. Our own forests absorb more than 900,000 tonnes of CO2 and neutralise the emissions of our production sites. Faber-Castell covers 82 percent of the global energy demand from renewable sources.

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Carbon-neutral production

The CO2 emissions caused by the manufacturing process of this product are neutralized by certified projects.

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Our Sustainable Pencil Production

From our sustainable forests in Prata, Brazil to desks all around the world, our pencils undergo an incredible journey.

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