Lakshmi Menon, a designer by profession, runs Pure Living, an organisation in south Kerala that is dedicated to finding sustainable, eco-friendly, livelihood solutions. One of 42-year-old Menon’s passionate projects is making pens that grow into trees when disposed. Here she is in conversation with Monish Shah.
Can you tell us about these paper pens?
It is an attempt to replace plastic pens, which are harmful to the environment as their plastic cannot be recycled. In our paper pens, only the refills are made of plastic. The rest of it is made from recycled waste paper. We also put a seed at the bottom of each pen so that once the pen has been used, it can be planted in the soil.
Are the seeds of any particular plant?
Yes, the seeds are from the Agasthya or the hummingbird tree, which holds a special place in Ayurveda medicines.
What do you call your paper pen project?
This story is from the April - May 2017 edition of Dimdima.
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This story is from the April - May 2017 edition of Dimdima.
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