Ecological
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.
Faber-Castell uses 100 percent
FSC or PEFC certified wood worldwide.
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.
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.
Carbon-neutral production.
Faber-Castell’s forests in Prata, Southeast Brazil, absorb 900,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to a scientific study by TÜV-Rheinland® in 2012. The 10,000 hectare forestry project not only secures stocks of sustainable wood but also protects the environment through photosynthesis, which converts the CO2 into biomass. The pine trees and forests in Prata, one third of which have been left untouched, therefore neutralise the climate-relevant carbon footprint Faber-Castell’s global production facilities. Large parts of the forests have become a habitat for rare species of animals and plants, which is particularly important. A respectful interaction with nature is key alongside sustainability.
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 around 660 animal and plant species, such as white-eared puffbird. Of these, 50 species are threatened with extinction elsewhere.
Carbon Neutral Production
We contribute to climate protection through the annual calculation and management of our carbon footprint from all production sites. The emissions are neutralized through the sequestration of carbon in our forests in Brazil.
ISO 9001 / ISO 14001
All production sites in the Faber-Castell Group are certified according to the international norms to ensure that the quality and environmental protection standards are met.
FSC®
More than 90 % of the wood used for the worldwide production of Faber-Castell pencils come from 100 % FSC-certified forests, and thus originate from responsible sources.
PEFC
Faber-Castell uses PEFC-certified wood as an alternative to FSC-certified wood. Both certification schemes ensure the sustainable management and use for forest resources.
Eco Pencil
Timber from certified sustainable forestry (e.g. FSC, PEFC, SFI).
Water-based Varnish
Faber-Castell was the first manufacturer to introduce the environmentally-friendly water-based varnish technology, which is used for almost all writing instruments produced at the main factory in Stein.
PVC-free
As a world leader in the production of erasers, Faber-Castell avoids the use of harmful softeners. The erasers are produced under strict quality control and are PVC-free.
Refillable
Every product contains valuable raw materials. To extend their usability, many products can be refilled.
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.
Recyclable cardboard
The packaging is made of recyclable cardboard.
