Using pencils and pens then throwing them afterwards is a regular practice among us. But have you ever wondered how much plastic and non-biodegradable waste is being created every day? To reduce this waste and help mother nature, Saurabh Mehta and BioQ brings sustainable stationery that can be planted after use. From plantable pens to handmade paper with embedded seeds, they work with the vision of use and grow.
Saurabh Mehta joined his family stationery business and decided to bring about a change. In 2018, he started BioQ, and he said “in the last 2–3 years, there is a lot of action happening. People are becoming aware and are adopting eco-friendly stationery and products in their lives.â€
BioQ eco-solutions, based in Delhi, is making remarkable progress in revolutionizing the stationery industry. Their expertise lies in developing and creating sustainable stationery products alongside offering eco-friendly gifting options. While many eco-friendly stationery products are created from recycled paper, their unique selling point lies in their plantable stationery products. The pens and pencils are designed with small capsules that contain seeds. Once the primary use of the stationery is complete, these seeds can be used to grow beautiful plants.
As for the name, Saurabh thinks that a high IQ level is not enough in this era of environmental degradation and climate change, instead we all need BioQ. He believes in alternate energy and products and considers the need to change the products designs to suit it. His vision is to make changes such that even if the product is thrown away after use, there should be minimal damage to the environment. Thus, he uses and promotes such products.
In addition to their stationery and products made from recycled paper, BioQ also specializes in creating eco-friendly gift options crafted from bamboo and cork materials. Most of the traditional stationery industry relies heavily on plastic material that is discarded once it has served its purpose. The process of take, make, and dispose of is commonly practiced. It involves the utilization of materials to create a product, which is then discarded once its purpose has been served.
Also See: Sustainable Gifts from Phool to Preserve River Ganga and Empower Communities
BioQ brings sustainable stationery that can be planted after use so, if you are planning to give something unique this Diwali, you can choose from their wide range of categories.
- Plantable stationary – It is an upgraded version of paper stationery in which pencils and pens have a plant seed at the back.
- Handmade paper – They are recycled paper with plant seeds inside.
- Recycled paper stationery – These handmade papers are also used to make other stationery items like calendars, notepads, and paper bags.
- Bamboo and cork – This range has cork coasters, cork candles, and more. Then there are products under work with bamboo like toothbrush, tongue cleaner, bamboo pen stand and other.
There are around 60 categories in their paper stationery to choose from. The founder believes in making use and grow pattern, which is why they provide plantable seeds with their products in a creative manner.
About the Founder and Foundation
Saurabh Mehta is an electrical engineer who graduated in 2010 and since then he has been working mostly in the field of sustainability and environment uplifting. He spent 8 years, particularly working in off-grid solar across India, parts of Africa, and South Asia.
After that he had to return to Delhi to join his family business. And that is when he noticed the large amount of plastic waste created in the stationary industry, including plastic ball pens and wooden pencils. Even though there is massive deforestation due to wooden pencils, they are being discarded as waste after use, without a second thought.
It was then he started looking around for a way to reduce this waste and in 2018 he founded BioQ aimed at producing eco-friendly stationery and gifting products.
Raw Materials and Manufacturing
According to Saurabh Mehta, they do not recycle at their facility, instead, obtain recycled paper from mills and use newspapers for products, which are easy to find. Also, recycled materials are used for designs and product development. This applies to bamboo and cork as well, as they don’t handle their material processing.
BioQ manufactures around 80% of their products themselves, then a lot of value addition is done with other products. Then packaging and designs are done by themselves.
BioQ team consists of around 28 people in manufacturing. Packaging and assembly are done by a community of 70 women who work from home. The product design team works with an innovative approach to design different eco-friendly stationery options.
Source: BioQ
