Odisha-based innovators make eco-friendly pens with newspapers, vegetable and fruit seeds

As an alternative to plastic pens, two Bhubaneswar-based innovators, Prem Panday and MD Ahmad Raza, have made eco-friendly, use and throw pens from newspapers and vegetable, fruit and flower seeds.

Keeping in mind the growing concerns of the usage of plastic and its detrimental impact on the environment, Pandey and Raza have tried to challenge the hegemony of the plastic pens through these "eco-friendly pens," which are manufactured by 'Likhna' - a startup founded by both of them.

The pens are provided in two variants - one consists of vegetable, fruit and flower seeds in it which can regenerate into plants after being thrown, while the other is made without seeds. The variants have been priced at Rs 5 and Rs 7, respectively.

"We tried to make an eco-friendly and use and throw alternative of plastic pens, as plastic is harming our environment. These are not fully plastic free as these pens have a plastic refill, but the body of the Pen has been created from the waste newspaper. Therefore in comparison to regular pens that have 100 per cent plastic, our pens have only 10 per cent plastic. Our next aim is to do away with the plastic refill as well to make it a completely environment-friendly pen, inside out," Prem Pandey told ANI.

Ahmad shared, "Unlike regular use and throw pens, people can discard these pens in a pot or soil and within weeks it will germinate into a plant. We have received good reviews for our pens not only in India but also from Germany and in Australia as these pens are now available in markets there."

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