Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera

Graphite pencils made from recycled newspaper
2021 SEED Climate Adaptation Awards; Government of Flanders
Waste Management
Gaborone
Botswana

Eco Zera produces eco-pencils made from waste newspapers to distribute in retailers, stationery shops, local general dealers as well as local tuck-shops. The pencils are currently sold in four reputable bookshops which are accessible to almost everyone in the community. The enterprise also supplies to wholesalers that distribute to smaller retailers.

Eco Zera also targets local tuck-shops in other schools and in the vicinity of schools to sell Eco Zera pencils. The enterprise uses social media to advertise the products to the general public.

Eco-inclusive Impacts
The enterprise utilises waste newspapers to produce eco-pencils, thus reducing demand for logging. This protects local forests and contributes to the decrease of climate-induced impacts such as erosion and advancing desertification.
  • Creating job opportunities especially for youth to prevent them from engaging in risky behaviour e.g. drug abuse and crime

 

  • Utilising newspaper as raw materials, giving new life to what would have been waste in landfills
  • Reducing logging activities thus conserving Botswana’s ecosystem and biodiversity
  • Generating economic opportunities in the local green sector
  • Providing employment to individuals who were previously unemployed
  • Securing market share in Botswana and South Africa to supply eco-pencils

Partners

Eco Zera recycles newspapers to manufacture eco-pencils. A one-of-a-kind enterprise in Botswana and around Southern Africa, the enterprise offers an alternative to pencils made from wood that is less sustainable and negatively impacting local biodiversity.

The Voice Newspaper has partnered with Eco Zera to supply their returned newspapers as raw materials at an affordable price.

 

The Botswana Trade Center has profiled Eco Zera to help with locating markets for the products abroad and in the region.