Schneider pens are among the top brands in our industry, with environmental credentials that stand up to the toughest scrutiny. Most recently the company has been making the headlines with its award-winning fineliners. These are writing instruments that are ideal for relaxing and also great little helpers in the office – for colourful notes, underlining text, sketching and drawing.
Schneider has developed this essential tool even further. In addition to adding a soft-touch tip at the barrel end of the pen which allows it to be used on screens such as smartphones and tablets, it is also producing the new Line-Up fineliners from bio-based plastics. This marks another milestone in Schneider’s sustainability journey and means the new product family is not just highly colourful, but also environmentally-sound.
In these times of fracking and other controversial practices, Schneider refuses to use limited resources in manufacturing the fineliner, thereby conserving oil reserves. The independent German certification organisation DIN CERTCO confirms the amount is 88% bio-based material.
In addition to this bio-based plastic content, the sustainable cultivation method of sugar cane and its use as the main raw material of the product is also certified.
Schneider didn’t want to create merely an isolated niche product, but has always had the goal of using bio-based plastics for a whole range of writing instruments. As such, with the use of bio-based plastics in an entire product series, the company has become an active contributor in seeking out alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. The manufacturer also works closely with a range of research institutes and academia, such as the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB) at the University of Hanover.
Innovative click system
In addition to the Line-Up fineliner, Schneider has launched its new Link-It product line which also uses bio-plastics in its manufacturing. The Link-It line of pens has two different tips and is available in 16 colours. From romantic-red and silver-grey to Tango-orange and Black Forest-green, the wide variety of combinations is designed to stimulate creativity and give the user a multitude of options.
The standout feature of the product is an innovative click system (see image, right) that combines fineliners (0.4 mm) and fibrepens (1 mm) in one pen. This means users can link any combination of tip sizes and colours together.
This unique, patent-pending click system is cleverly integrated at the end of the barrel. The user simply places the two arrows facing each other and ‘clicks’ them into place, immediately ‘making’ a new pen in a new colour. Given the large variety of colours and the different writing options, the Link-It line of pens is perfect to be used for creating mandalas and zentangles, currently fashionable in the drawing and paper arts world.
The rubberised ergonomic and three-edged barrel is also ideal for a relaxed writing experience and won’t roll off the desk. And as the cap fits neatly on the end of the barrel it can be used comfortably as an individual pen. The slim design also fits perfectly into pupils’ pencil cases, either individually or linked.
Convenient and adjustable
Both new Schneider lines – the colourful Line-Up fineliners and the innovative Link-It twin pens – are packaged in a convenient, adjustable pencil case stand. This is available in four versions, either with 4, 8, 16 or 32 (only available for Line-Up) different colours. When folded, it easily fits in any school backpack or purse. The case also supports Schneider’s sustainability philosophy as it’s made from waste from the manufacturer’s internal plastics processing material.
Both the Line-Up fineliners and the Link-It twin pens combine style, quality, versatility and award-winning innovation with the best of what’s available in advanced environmental standards.
The road to sustainability
Founded in 1938, Schneider Schreibgeräte is an international brand of high-quality writing instruments that include ballpoint pens, gel ink pens, fountain pens and cartridge rollers, liquid ink pens, rollerballs and fineliners, markers, highlighters and mechanical pencils.
All Schneider products stand out through their quality, writing comfort, design and suitability for everyday use. The manufacturer carries out all its R&D and production in Germany, thereby guaranteeing outstanding product quality and compliance with the most demanding and rigorous ecological and social standards.
Schneider has taken the issue of sustainability seriously for many years, with environmental responsibility firmly anchored in its vision and goals. Since 1998, the manufacturer has been following its environmental policy in line with the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), the strictest environmental management system in the world. Its EMAS certification has been renewed on a regular basis ever since that time, with Schneider continuously being able to demonstrate its ongoing improvements in environmental performance.
Over the past few years a great deal has been achieved in terms of reducing its carbon emissions. The unique Slider ballpoint pen series with Viscoglide technology, for example, is produced carbon neutrally.
The company has also consistently pursued the aim of avoiding all energy sources that use non-renewable resources or pollute or endanger the environment. The first step towards clean electricity was taken in 1998; its changeover to regenerative power sources was completed in 2010. Schneider also generates its own power both from co-generation and from the solar panel system installed at its factories.
