One more step towards environmental excellence

WRITE BETTER WITH LESS. Preserving the environment is a major challenge that has long guided our acts and thinking. At Pilot, we constantly innovate while sustainably involving ourselves to limit our impact on the planet. Transforming our pens to make them ever more eco-friendly is a genuine technological and human feat. That’s why all our actions drive us to do better with less, to write the world of tomorrow with you. More than a philosophy, the WRITE BETTER WITH LESS principle represents our approach aimed at reducing the ecological impact of our production while preserving our standards of quality and innovation. This approach of constant improvement has been rewarded by achieving the very selective EMAS certification for the past 10 years, as well as the ISO14001 norm. Proud of these milestones, we are further pursuing our efforts through an action plan based on 4 essential pillars: our 4R’s – recycle, reduce, refill & reclaim. THE PILOT 4R’s.

1. RECYCLE – At Pilot the ethos is simple – limit the use of plastic to the strict minimum. The extraction of raw materials needed to produce plastic represents 77.8% of a pen’s carbon footprint. That’s why, since 2006 and the introduction of the Pilot Begreen range, we have preferred to use recycled plastic to make our pens. This optimisation of the production tool allows us to reduce the CO2 impact of the writing instruments concerned by between 19% and 57%.
2. REFILL – Change the refill, not the pen. Over 60 % of our products are refillable. This has also enabled our end users to rethink how they consume. Using the same product several times instead of throwing it away is a gesture that’s simple, economical, and ecological. Using refillable pens and Pilot Green Packs can also help reduce “greenhouse gases” because manufacturing an entire pen produces more CO2 than just the refill components. From the manufacturing through to the end of the product life, it is estimated that using all of the pens and the refills in a Pilot Green Pack gives the following cumulative CO2 savings (compared to using the equivalent number of new pens and not refilling them): B2P Green Pack -69% CO2, G2 Green Pack -71% CO2, V7 Cartridge System -81% CO2, V-Board Master -75% CO2.
3. REDUCE – We’re all wrapped up in using less plastic. Since 2010, we have reduced quantities of virgin plastic by over 80% by using recycled plastic and FSC-certified cardboard. In 2020, we went even further. Our Begreen range is available with 100% recyclable cardboard packaging. All our e-commerce range is offered in 100% recyclable paper flowpacks. All formats of our logistical packaging are adapted to reduce empty space and are FSC certified. 2022 will see the introduction of plastic-free packaging on all of our FriXion refills
4. RECLAIM – Between 8-12 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans annually, and 70% of such waste actually sinks to the seabed, where we are unlikely to be able to clean it up. It is key to collect plastic before it enters the oceans! In 2021, PILOT took a leading step in the fight against this worldwide pollution by adding an element of reclaimed ocean plastic to the recycled PET material used in the manufacture of the iconic B2P range (Gel and Ecoball). This material is recuperated from oceans, beaches, rivers, lakes and the banks of those waterways, by our partner TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and re-use of non-recyclable postconsumer waste.

PILOT BEGREEN. Making things better and more responsibly has long been at the heart of our actions and research. Back in 2006 we launched our Begreen range, eco-designed products that are 85% refillable and manufactured with a minimum of 70% recycled plastic. (*% of recycled material, excluding consumables). This pioneering approach allowed Pilot to be the 1st manufacturer worldwide to offer more environmentally-friendly writing instruments. This determination to be eco-responsible instils all our teams with drive and enthusiasm. From design through to sale, we put all our energy into minimising our environmental impact. We aim to offer our Begreen products at the same price and to the same high quality as our standard products. Pilot offers a wide range of Begreen environmentally friendly products that meet all your writing needs. Ballpoint pens, marker pens, whiteboard markers, highlighters and more.​​ Most Pilot Begreen writing instruments are refillable and using a refill when the ink runs out, rather than an entire new pen reduces the amount of single-use plastics in daily life. Refilling a pen also brings a reduction in greenhouse gases as manufacturing an entire pen produces more CO2 than just a refill. PILOT’S CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. Preserving the environment is deeply embedded in PILOT’s DNA. In keeping with the principle of continuous improvement, Pilot is determined to go one step further. The manufacturer is now offsetting the CO2 emissions of all pens manufactured at its European factory based in France. In addition, the brand is proud to support and fund the “clean oceans plastic bank” project thanks to its partnership with Climate Partner. This relates to many of Pilot’s iconic models; when purchasing a V-5, V-7, G-2, Fineliner, B2P gel ink or ballpoint pen which are manufactured in Europe, you are buying a climate compensated product. This represents a total of over 33 million pens per year for 1,456,824 kg of CO2.