This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Abroad from the KU Centers for East Asian Studies and Kansas African Studies.

We’ve all heard of recycling paper to make more paper, but what about recycling newspapers to make pencils? Green Pencils, a company in Nairobi, Kenya, does just that. Founded in 2012, this innovative company fills a niche for locally produced pencils, while preserving the environment and reducing waste. In just three years, the company has grown from a small start-up to being the major supplier of pencils to 51 schools, many businesses and the retail market. Their latest product is paper-based pens. Green Pencil will even place advertisements on the outside of their products making them a marketing tool as well as a writing tool. Local men and women are employed to make the handcrafted pencils and pens which is good for the economy too. Looks like Green Pencils is a business success story…knock on recycled wood!

With thanks to Mackenzie Jones for this text, from the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

Sources:

http://greenpencilsltd.co.ke/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/GreenPencilsLtd

http://techmoran.com/this-two-kenyans-manufacture-from-recycled-newspapers/?utm_content=buffer6cf97&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.XYfllbbY.gGVpOJjl.dpbs