In honor of the BIC Cristal pen’s 75th anniversary, BIC has rolled out a remarkable environmental education legacy initiative aimed at supporting Kenyan schools and communities.
The global leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers is planting 75 fruit trees across 22 schools in Kenya—symbolizing one tree for every year of the pen’s legacy.
This initiative is rooted in BIC’s Writing the Future Together sustainable development program, which is dedicated to positively impacting both society and the environment. Just as the BIC Cristal pen revolutionized access to writing and creativity, this project seeks to inspire a greener, more fruitful future for generations to come.
Beyond environmental benefits, the project brings direct social impact. Each tree is estimated to absorb 25kg of CO₂ annually, totaling 41.25 tons per year across all 75 trees. Once mature, each tree can bear around 400 fruits per year—an estimated 660,000 fruits in total annually. This will not only enrich school environments but also create sustainable income streams and job opportunities for local communities.
“As we celebrate 75 years the iconic BIC Cristal, we are in turn planting seeds for the next 75+ years through this environmental legacy program. The initiative perfectly embodies the commitments under our Writing the Future Together sustainable development program. By establishing these fruity orchards in schools across Kenya, we are contributing to environmental conservation and helping create sustainable opportunities for the communities in which we operate.”— Paloma Lengema, General Manager at BIC East Africa.
BIC’s tree-planting initiative is being carried out in partnership with Fruity Schools Africa, a Ministry of Education-accredited organization that specializes in tree planting in learning institutions.
“This partnership with BIC represents a perfect alignment of environmental stewardship and educational enhancement. These fruity orchards will not only contribute to carbon sequestration and environmental education but will also generate sustainable income for schools through fruit production. We are proud to work with like-minded organizations such as BIC to further support our local communities,”— Joseph Okoth, Director of Fruity Schools Africa.
To optimize the program’s impact, schools are being grouped in clusters of five within each ward or sub-county. Each cluster will create at least one green job, generating up to five new employment opportunities overall.
This initiative is a powerful example of how brands can embed sustainability into their legacy—ensuring not just greener spaces, but also more empowered and resilient communities.
