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Social Supermarket

Sustainable Branded Pencils

Branded pencils with a real sustainability story, from FSC wood and recycled paper to plantable seed pencils that grow into herbs or flowers once too short to use.

Trusted by

Volkswagen
Softcat
PIMCO
NFU Mutual
Clifford Chance
Pfizer
EDF Energy
Compass Group
PwC
The FA
  1. 1Request a quoteNo commitment
  2. 2We confirm pricesAnd check your artwork
  3. 3Approve your proofBefore anything is made
  4. 4We deliverTypically 2-3 weeks
36 products

Products

Showing 1–36 of 36 products

Case study

Event merch that became a brand moment for Legl

Legl wanted giveaways that drew people to their stand and had a story behind them. So they swapped high volumes of standard freebies for a smaller range of premium merch: bamboo notebooks, branded artisan chocolate and power banks built to last.

The merch acted as a real conversation starter. People were drawn to the stand and curious to hear the story behind the products. We noticed higher footfall, more meaningful conversations and a greater number of follow-ups post-event compared to previous years.
Francesca Gerrett, Demand Generation ManagerLegl
Higher footfall

at the stand than in previous years

More follow-ups

after each event, from more meaningful conversations

LinkedIn buzz

as attendees posted photos of the chocolate and power banks

Sustainability rating

Every product graded, and we show our working

Most suppliers put an eco label on part of their range without saying what earns it. We check every product against five criteria, and the number it meets sets its grade. This marketplace lists the products that meet at least two.

  • Eco-Friendly Materials Plus
  • Eco-Friendly Materials
  • Upcycling
  • Responsible Manufacturing
  • Positive Supply Chain Impact
  • AA4 or 5 criteria metMeets almost everything we look for
  • A3 criteria metStrong on materials and on how it was made
  • B2 criteria metClears our bar on two independent counts
  • C1 criterion metOne point in its favour, and no more. We only sell this if no viable alternatives are available.
  • D0 criteria metNothing we can evidence. We don't sell this.

Questions? We've got you covered

Most are made from FSC-certified or responsibly sourced wood, with options in recycled paper, recycled newspaper and bamboo. Some replace the wood barrel entirely, such as Karst woodless graphite pencils made from solid graphite, and the Endless pencil uses a long-lasting graphite tip instead of traditional lead.

Pencils are usually decorated by pad print for logos and text, or by laser engraving for a clean mark cut into the wood. Digital print and screen print are available on selected lines. Colours, print areas and methods are shown on each product.

Plantable pencils, like the Sproutworld and Sow Easy seed pencils, have a seed capsule built into the end. When a pencil becomes too short to write with, you plant that end in soil, keep it watered and in light, and it grows into herbs, flowers or vegetables instead of being thrown away.

Yes. Alongside graphite and HB pencils we carry colouring pencil sets, including the Micki GRS infinity set made from certified recycled material, so you can brand a colour set for events, schools and family-focused giveaways.

Minimum order quantities and lead times vary by product and decoration method, and are shown on each product page and confirmed when you request a quote. Pencils are a low-cost item, so they are well suited to larger giveaway and event quantities.

Recycled, bamboo and plantable pencils usually cost a little more than a basic wooden pencil, because of the materials and, for plantable pencils, the seed capsule. The gap is small per unit, and the sustainability story tends to make the giveaway more memorable and more likely to be kept. We will quote the exact unit cost for your quantity and decoration.

Yes. Social Supermarket is a certified B Corp, and several pencil lines come from certified B Corp brands, including Sproutworld plantable pencils and Karst. Every product is curated for recycled, plantable or responsibly sourced materials with supplier credentials we have checked.

Send us your brief

Ready to ditch the disposable?

Tell us what you need and when you need it. We'll come back with a proposal: products, prices and the impact of each one.
info@socialsupermarket.orgWe reply within 12 hours.

Branded pencils with a real sustainability story

Branded pencils are one of the lowest-cost, most useful giveaways you can put your logo on, and the format lends itself naturally to recycled and renewable materials. This range covers everyday wooden HB pencils, colouring sets, plantable seed pencils and long-lasting graphite pencils, all decorated to your brand for events, schools, conferences and welcome packs.

Materials and styles

Most pencils here use FSC-certified or responsibly sourced wood, with recycled-paper and recycled-newspaper options for a clear waste-reduction story (the Recycled Newspaper Pencil and Recycled paper pencil are made from exactly that). Across the range there are over a dozen recycled-content pencils to choose from, so you can put the waste-reduction story on the giveaway itself. A few lines swap the wooden barrel for fast-growing bamboo, and the Endless pencil uses a graphite tip that writes far longer than a standard pencil before it runs down. For colour, the Micki GRS infinity colouring set uses certified recycled material.

Plantable and seed pencils

Plantable pencils, also called seed pencils, carry a seed capsule in the end. Once a pencil is too short to use, you plant that end and it grows herbs, flowers or vegetables instead of going in the bin. Our plantable range includes Sproutworld pencils, from the certified B Corp behind the original plantable pencil, and Sow Easy seed pencils, both brandable for events, conference giveaways and welcome packs.

Branding and ordering

Pencils are usually decorated by pad print for logos and text, or by laser engraving for a clean mark into the wood, with digital and screen-print options on selected lines. Minimum order quantities and lead times are shown on each product and confirmed when you request a quote, so you can match the run to your event or campaign.

Why buy from Social Supermarket

Social Supermarket is a certified B Corp, and we curate this range for recycled, plantable and responsibly sourced materials with supplier credentials we have checked. Several lines come from certified B Corp brands too, including Sproutworld plantable pencils and Karst woodless graphite pencils, which use solid graphite instead of a wooden barrel so there is no wood to discard. Browse the full Pens & Writing hub, or compare with our branded ballpoint pens and rollerball and gel pens.