Basic facts about the production

>>All pens and ink refills are made in Torino, Italy.

>> Pen barrels are made from either 100% recycled pre-consumer waste paper or a seaweed composite
paper.

>> There is no chlorine, chemical whiting halogens or ethilendiamintetracetic acid used in the production process.

>> All water used in manufacturing is treated internally by physical, mechanical and biological means before discharge.

>> Printing inks are non-toxic typographical offset inks.

>> Ink wells are made of non-polluting polypropylene (P.P) plastic.

The story behind the seaweed paper is one of innovation and clever thinking that has turned an environmental problem into a nifty new product.

The Venice Lagoon suffers from excessive seaweed/algae caused by runoff from surrounding land. Tens of thousands of tons of this material was being removed annually from the lagoon due to its effect on dissolved oxygen and subgsequent negative effects on local fish. Originally this seaweed was sent to landfills. However, a unique award winning process developed by Favini Spa of Italy combines ground seaweed with recycled paper and virgin pulp to produce a unique seaweed paper.

Why biodegradable pens?

New Zealanders threw away an average of 750kg of waste per person in the year 2000. Our solid waste disposal was 3.2 million tonnes of which 8-12% was plastic. Plastic also accounts for 75 % of the recreational waste on beaches and contributes significantly to marine waste.

The plastic used to manufacture the average disposable plastic biro is not recyclable nor is it biodegradable.

A plastic pen in a landfill will still be there in 50,000 years. In the marine environment plastic pens are a hazard to mammals and birds. Recognised by the UNEP Global Programme of Action for Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, plastic pens and other plastic items either choke or accumulate in the stomachs of marine organisms inflicting a slow death from malnutrition.

The average modern lifestyle is a busy one and consumers have become dependent on the convenience of cheap disposable items. The plastic biro has replaced more expensive refillable ballpoint pens and now contributes to the global waste problem. Epenz are the effective solution to the modern "disposable" lifestyle. Made from paper and seaweed they can be rapidly broken down in the home compost system. This allows the convenience of disposability without the long term impacts negative impacts of plastic..