The 100 per cent sustainable Sprout eco pencils have been created by a group of MIT students. Each pencil is fitted with seeds and can be used until the graphite and clay runs out. The stubs, pictured, are then planted in soil and used to grow herbs and vegetables
Sprout pencils come in 20 varieties including tomato, basil and peppers
They can be used like traditional pencils until the graphite or clay runs out
Once placed in soil, the 100 per cent sustainable pencils sprout plants
The pencils cost $19.95 (£12.50) for a pack of eight different varieties
What if instead of throwing away pencil stubs when they get too short to use, you could turn them into flowers, herbs or even vegetables?
The Sprout eco pencil, developed by a group of MIT students, is made of cedar and uses graphite and clay in place of lead.
A seed capsule is fitted to the end of each pencil and once they become unusable, the capsules can be planted in soil, and watered to produce a herb and vegetable patch.
The seed capsule inside the end of the pencil is fitted with three seeds of the same flower, herb or vegetable. As the pencil is watered, pictured, the protective capsule dissolves to expose the seed's. The pencil can be kept in the soil and doubles up as a plant marker
There are over 20 variations available from creators Democratech including mint, tomato, peppers, basil and rosemary.
The seed capsule inside the end of the pencil is fitted with three seeds of the same flower, herb or vegetable - to increase the success rate.
Sprout eco pencils are made of cedar and use graphite and clay. They can be used like normal until they become too short. Democratech is working on pencils that are the same colour as the plants they contain
The pencil can then be kept in the soil and doubles up as a plant marker because they have the name of the seed carved into the side.
Sprout's makers Democratech claim that seeds should begin sprouting within a week.
Each Sprout package comes with a planting instruction card.
The makers warn that if a user spills liquid on the Sprout, or places it in their mouth, the tip will begin to dissolve.
They said: 'Unfortunately Sprout doesn't know the difference between accidental and intentional watering, so if you accidentally wet your Sprout it's time for planting.
'We've worked hard to make a resilient seed capsule but it's a tradeoff between resistance to accidental spills and plantability.'
Michael Stausholm from Democratech added: 'Sprout was designed in a graduate product design course at MIT.
'It was inspired by the design prompt to make a product for the 'eco-friendly office of the future.'
There are over 20 variations of Sprout pencils available from creators Democratech including basil, pictured, mint, tomato, peppers and rosemary. Each one has the name of the seed carved into the side
'We wanted to take a product that didn't get any special attention, the humble pencil, and use it as a tool to remind people of the eco-impact they could make.
The eco pencils took three months to create and achieved more than £25,000 in funding from a Kickstarter campaign.
The group of students are also looking at ways of matching the colour of the nib with that of its corresponding plants.
Stausholm continued : 'Sprout Europe launched Sprout pencils in retail in Denmark in June 2013 as the first market globally to test and have been hugely successful with over 100,000 sets sold in a relatively small market.
'We have seen massive re-ordering from customers, people seem to really love the Sprout and the fact that it has so many practical uses.
'I also think the fact that it is 100 per cent sustainable and is handmade from only natural materials, makes it more appealing.'
Sprout packets are available on Amazon and cost $19.95 (£12.50) for a pack of eight pencils. International shipping costs an additional $5 (£3).
At the moment, customers can buy the Herb pack, or the Flower pack.
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