Design studio Zirobio created pencils in which the graphite of the lead has been replaced with waste coffee grounds.

Globally, we consume 3.5 billion cups of coffee daily, which means a lot of coffee grounds are generated, about 11.8 million tons annually. These coffee grounds have been put to good use, such as to make anything from bioplastic to textile dye. Now, a new use has arrived: as pigment in a pencil.

Called Grind Z, the project was inspired by coffee stains on clothes. The 5.6mm pencil lead contains 20 per cent recycled coffee grounds and other components like wax and adhesives. The wax helps maintain the brightness and smoothness of the colour during use preventing easy smudging or fading. The pencil shows the natural colour of coffee grounds, which does mean that the colour is not very intense. The creations will also have a faint coffee smell.

Grind Z can be used directly like a crayon, or be inserted int a clutch pencil.

Photos: Zirobio