Sustainability

Material

Bioplastic

We use recyclable bioplastic that is produced in Europe from corn starch or wood waste. The plastics are also biodegradable and can be recycled into new products by Prototo to make the best possible use of the energy that went into producing the material.

Every year, vast quantities of products are made from oil-based plastic, and almost every one of them ends up in a landfill or is incinerated. The use of bioplastic and genuine recycling can prevent this.

Ballpoint Pen Springs

The steel springs for the ballpoint pen are manufactured especially for Prototo in Germany. Due to our high demands for sustainability, we have chosen a company that has established an environmental management system analogous to ISO 14001 and uses the waste heat from a biogas plant.

The normal recycling of steel has proven successful, and one ton of recycled steel saves one ton of CO₂ and consumes 72% less energy than steel from primary raw materials. We explain how best to dispose of steel under Recycling: what goes where. However, the most sustainable form of recycling is to send it back to Prototo so that we can either recycle it specifically or, ideally, create a new product from it.

Ballpoint Pen Refills

Prototo ballpoint pens can be used with any "X20" type refill. However, we have opted for a metal refill that is produced climate-neutrally in Germany. This makes it (to our knowledge) the only truly recyclable and climate-compensated refill on the market.

Refills made from recycled plastic exist but practically cannot be returned to the cycle as they get lost in general waste. The easiest way back into the material cycle is to return them to us, and we then feed larger quantities directly into the appropriate recycling process. Detailed information on how you can send our products back to us free of charge can be found under Prototo Recycling Program.

Packaging

The packaging consists of recycled paper (origin: Switzerland, 100% post-consumer waste) and the same bioplastic as the product it contains. The size of the packaging is based on DinA and can therefore be produced without waste.

The recycling of the bioplastic is identical to that of the product it contains, and the paper can be recycled.

Processes

  • Shop

    We run our workshop using renewable energy and reuse or recycle all production waste. As with every aspect of our business, there is still plenty of room for improvement here too, but we are constantly reviewing our own processes.

  • Procurement & Manufacturing

    In order to minimise all supply chains and the resulting environmental damage, we endeavour from the outset to source all components as locally as possible. On the face of it, this may seem ‘more expensive’, but taken as a whole, it is ‘more cost-effective’ for everyone involved.

Materials

  • Springs

    The steel springs for the ballpoint pens are manufactured in Germany specifically for Prototo. In line with our sustainability requirements, we have chosen a company that has established an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 and utilises the waste heat from a biogas plant.

    Standard steel recycling has proven its worth: one metric tonne of recycled steel saves one metric tonne of CO₂ and consumes 72 per cent less energy than steel produced from primary raw materials. However, the most sustainable form of recycling is

  • Pen Refills

    Prototo’s ballpoint pens can be used with any ‘X20’ refill. However, we have opted for metal refills, which are manufactured in Germany in a climate-neutral manner. This makes them (to the best of our knowledge) the only truly recyclable and climate-compensated refills on the market.

    Refills made from recycled plastic do exist, but they cannot practically be returned to the recycling loop as they end up in general waste. The easiest way back into the material cycle is to return them to us and

  • Plastics

    We already use recycled plastics wherever we can. Some products are made from recycled PET-G, which we source from Germany; some from recycled PLA using by-products from food production (e.g. wine or rice) from the Czech Republic or France; whilst others are made from bioplastics, such as elephant grass or nori seaweed, sourced from Austria, Poland or the Netherlands.

  • Metal click mechanism for Prototo ballpoint pens

    Unlike 99 per cent of all other mechanisms found in other pens, the click mechanisms in our ballpoint pens are made entirely of metal and are therefore easy to recycle, both as raw material and for use in new pens.

    These metal parts are also manufactured in Germany.

  • Packaging

    The packaging is made from recycled paper (sourced in Germany, Blue Angel certified) or from the same bioplastic as the product it contains. The size of the packaging is based on the DIN A standard and can therefore be produced with virtually no waste.

    The bioplastic can be recycled in the same way as the product it contains, and the paper can be recycled.

  • Shipping packaging

    All our products are packed in recyclable and compostable shipping bags and grass-based cardboard sleeves. These provide adequate protection against damage in transit without the use of harmful plastics.

Bioplastics

We use recyclable bioplastic produced in Europe from maize starch or wood waste. The plastics are also biodegradable and can be recycled by Prototo into new products to make the best possible use of the energy that went into producing the material. Prototo is working to replace these plastics in future with bioplastic produced in-house using bacteria. This plastic (PHA) is biodegradable and can be recycled by us. Every year, vast quantities of products are manufactured from oil-based plastic, and virtually all of them end up in landfill or are incinerated. The use of bioplastics and proper recycling can prevent this.

Ballpoint Pens No. 1

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Waste is a Design Flaw