About

About

Pencils are so ubiquitous, one does not pause to think about where they come from, how they are made or what happens to them once used. Each year, thousands of trees are cut down to make pencils for use in schools, offices and homes.

Terracil wants to change this by offering a sustainable alternative to traditional wood encased pencils.

Terracil is made with recycled or repurposed paper, eliminating the need for virgin wood from our forests. Like all pencils, Terracil starts with a graphite core. Recycled or repurposed paper is used to encase this core to create a pencil that is as good as any wood encased pencil, only in a more sustainable wrap.

Terracil has a clean outer shell, devoid of any designs, decorative PVC sleeves or foil engravings, to ensure the shavings can be composted. Terracils are hand-packed in a paper box that is beautiful to look at, cute enough to gift, and 100% recyclable, ensuring nothing goes to the landfill.

Terracil is a minority woman-owned small business trying to make a positive contribution to our communities and our world. Small changes can have huge impact. Please join us as we endeavor to protect our forests, one Terracil at a time.

How are Terracils better than pencils?

NO trees are cut specifically to make Terracils. The raw material for making Terracils is readily available in the form of recycled paper.

NO plastic is used in making Terracils. Unlike standard pencils, Terracils have

NO polymer [plastic] based paint
NO decorative PVC [plastic] sleeves
NO synthetic [plastic] erasers

NO landfill waste is created when you buy and use Terracils

FAQs

Product and Packaging

Why are Terracils more sustainable?

Terracils do not need virgin wood like traditional pencils, so no trees are cut down specifically for making them. This can help conserve one of our most precious resources, trees.

Why is using recycled paper beneficial?

Products like Terracil that require recycled materials can fuel the demand for recycling programs and provide a strong incentive for cities and communities to up their recycling efforts. Read more here.

How are Terracils designed to be zero waste?

Terracils are made with paper and devoid of any paint, decorative PVC sleeves or foil engravings. They are imprinted using ink-free, laser engraving technology. Terracils come packed in a paper box. So, the pencil shavings can be composted and the packaging can be recycled with nothing going to the landfill, making it a zero waste product.

Why do you recommend composting the shavings and recycling the box?

We recommend recycling the box, so it can have another life as paper before returning to the earth (and hopefully protecting a few more trees in the process). As shavings are minuscule and do not lend themselves well to the recycling process, it may be better to compost them.

Why do Terracils come without erasers?

Terracils do not come with an eraser because mixed materials [synthetic erasers and metal ferrules (the ring that holds the eraser and the pencil together)] are tough to reclaim via recycling and often end up in landfills. Block erasers or pencil cap erasers offer a more earth-conscious alternative.

Shipping

Why do you charge shipping?

We are a small business and we do not have the volume or reach of big box stores or e-commerce giants that provide free shipping. We encourage you to join hands with your neighbors or neighborhood schools, stores or offices to order Terracils in bulk. This will help save on shipping costs and can also help lower carbon emissions.

Why do you ship only via USPS?

At Terracil, our promise to care for the earth does not stop at the product or packaging. We are committed to doing good by the earth in every thing we do. Since USPS already visits every home in the US every single day, it is a more efficient, earth-conscious way to deliver Terracils to you.

Why do you use poly mailers for shipping?

Terracils are made of paper and come packed in a paper box. Our fully recyclable poly mailers help protect these paper items from rain/snow and other wet weather conditions when we ship Terracils to you. We are working on/looking for plastic free options that can help us achieve the same goals. If you have any ideas or thoughts on this, please let us know here.

Return policy

What is your return policy?

Currently, we do not accept returns. However, we stand by our products. If Terracils do not work for you, please contact us.