Environmental Awareness

Faber-Castell was the first company in the world to plant trees to produce pencils. Faber-Castell keeps accredited social and environmental projects such as that for the restoration of the flora and the fauna in Brazil. All Faber-Castell’s forests—and consequently all pencils it produces—are certified by the FSC. Consumers who buy a pencil of the Eco Product Line can be absolutely sure they are bringing home a quality value-added product, which is also socially and environmentally responsible. Its Brazilian plantation and reforestation project dates from the 60s. Faber-Castell complies with all current social and environmental standards of every country in which it operates, and all of its plants are ISO 14001-certified.

Faber-Castell has always been ahead in introducing these changes. It was the first company to only use reforested wood for producing pencils. It was also the first company—and it still is the only company in the world—to plant its own trees to provide for its production needs, and to have all of its plantations certified by the FSC.

What the FSC label really conveys is SUSTAINABILITY. It informs that the wood contained in the product was obtained in an environmentally friendly (environmental sustainability), socially fair (social sustainability), and economically sustainable (economic sustainability) manner. As a result, when consumers bring home a product bearing the FSC label, they can be absolutely sure they are going to use a sustainable product; that is, he can be sure the product can be used “as is” and that it will not negatively affect the planet’s social and environmental conditions.

FSC certifies companies at three levels: 50, 70, and 100. Faber-Castell is the only company to have attained 100%. What is the difference between these scores? It means that 100% of Faber-Castell pencils are FSC-certified—not to mention that Faber-Castell plantations are also certified by this organization.

In our industry, we have established a pioneer reforestation project. It consists of approximately ten thousand hectares of forests, 26% out of which are covered with native vegetation. This demonstrates our responsibility and concern with keeping the areas covered with native vegetation. Faber-Castell plantations are managed using the latest knowledge of forests. We put our best effort into finding and planting a region’s native species; and we take all due environmental care and establish and develop social and environmental programs as well. Our policy for starting plantation projects is very strict. And we continuously monitor our plantations to make sure that they are beneficial to the local environment.

Faber-Castell started its Pinus tree plantation in 1989, in the region of Prata, state of Minas Gerais. At that time, it stretched out over a total of 9,000 hectares. A few years later, the company started to conduct studies to preserve and improve what had been left of the native flora on its land. This is how the Arboris Project appeared. This project is developed in our forest parks and includes legally protected areas of permanent preservation that consist of typical Brazilian vegetation such as the cerrado and forest aisles and galleries.

The main purposes of the Arboris Project are to restore, protect, and improve the regional native flora, enabling the natural restoration of potentially fertile areas. For those areas in which the natural restoration is not possible, we plant native trees as well as species which are important to the local fauna. And we are also studying some methods to preserve the soil.

We are definitely in line with the ECO concept. We have replaced wood from native trees with wood from planted trees. We have reduced the use of plastic as much as possible, and we have attained a positive carbon sequestration rate. We have ensured the continuity of the company without jeopardizing the environment. On the contrary, the company policy is to improve the environment aiming at the well-being of local people. The company makes sure that the species planted for producing pencils does not invade into native areas. All Faber-Castell plants are ISO 14001-certified and its plantations are FSC-certified. Additionally, plants and plantations are audited by independent companies to ensure a healthy working environment for the benefit of people and the environment.

Up to 9,000 pencils can be made from a tree.

Faber-Castell is internationally acknowledged in pencil manufacturing. Our wood-case pencils still account for our largest production volume. In addition, the company keeps its forest project. Therefore, even considering all plastic products and plastic parts produced by the company, Faber-Castell can still boast a positive carbon sequestration rate. That is, Faber-Castell captures more CO2 from the atmosphere than it releases into it. Based on the Kyoto Protocol, which allows balanced capture/release rates, any harm that our production of plastic products / parts might cause is nullified by this positive rate. It is noteworthy that Faber-Castell also applies all eco-efficient practices and employs all eco-efficient tools in producing plastic products or parts. This minimizes the use of raw materials and reduces the production of waste and the consumption of water and power. Each day, our major goal is to produce plastic products / parts that are increasingly less harmful to the environment.

Faber-Castell avoids removing large stretches of plantation to minimize the impact on the environmental scenario and especially not to cause any harm to the animals that use our plantations as pathways, shelter or refuge. Our harvests do not affect them in any manner whatsoever.

In respect to usage, Faber-Castell uses 100% of a tree:

Residues such as leaves and thin branches are used as fertilizers that give back to the soil all nutrients it needs for natural restoration.
Some of the sawdust is used to generate power to run the plant, some of it is sent to chicken farms, and some of it, as well as some other remaining products are used to produce sawdust boards and briquettes.
The bark undergoes a natural decomposition process and produces humus.
The ashes produced in the furnaces are used by cement industries or landscaping companies or even as fertilizer.

Faber-Castell Brazil was the first company to plant trees to produce pencils. Back in the 1950s, it imported the first Pinus seeds with the purpose of planting them in a soil which had been used as pasture before. These seeds were to become trees which were later to provide us with the timber we needed to produce pencils. Although we only plant one species of trees, the manner in which we established and manage our plantations does not characterize monoculture. The seedlings are planted in specific areas. Other native trees stand between Faber-Castell Pinus tree areas. Also, other economic activities are developed on our land such as cattle raising and agriculture, with no significant or harmful impact on the local scenario. All Faber-Castell areas are enclosed within a fence and surrounded by native vegetation and the native vegetation is kept and preserved under the Arboris program. This program earned the “Well Managed Forest” certification granted by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organization which supervises the compliance with environmental, social, and economic principles and criteria by companies.

Faber-Castell was the first company in the world to plant trees to produce pencils. Faber-Castell keeps accredited social and environmental projects such as that for the restoration of the flora and the fauna in Brazil. All Faber-Castell’s forests—and consequently all pencils it produces—are certified by the FSC. Consumers who buy a pencil of the Eco Product Line can be absolutely sure they are bringing home a quality value-added product, which is also socially and environmentally responsible. Its Brazilian plantation and reforestation project dates from the 60s. Faber-Castell complies with all current social and environmental standards of every country in which it operates, and all of its plants are ISO 14001-certified.

Faber-Castell has always been ahead in introducing these changes. It was the first company to only use reforested wood for producing pencils. It was also the first company—and it still is the only company in the world—to plant its own trees to provide for its production needs, and to have all of its plantations certified by the FSC.

What the FSC label really conveys is SUSTAINABILITY. It informs that the wood contained in the product was obtained in an environmentally friendly (environmental sustainability), socially fair (social sustainability), and economically sustainable (economic sustainability) manner. As a result, when consumers bring home a product bearing the FSC label, they can be absolutely sure they are going to use a sustainable product; that is, he can be sure the product can be used “as is” and that it will not negatively affect the planet’s social and environmental conditions.

FSC certifies companies at three levels: 50, 70, and 100. Faber-Castell is the only company to have attained 100%. What is the difference between these scores? It means that 100% of Faber-Castell pencils are FSC-certified—not to mention that Faber-Castell plantations are also certified by this organization.