98% of India’s children breathe toxic air. Not just outdoors but indoors too. Poorly ventilated classrooms in low income schools can record air pollution levels 4 times higher than WHO limits. Children spend almost 8 hours a day in these classrooms, and breathing toxic air can hinder learning by causing respiratory infections, poor concentration and absenteeism.
Pollution Capture Pencils
Turning air pollution into an instrument of change for India’s school children.
Challenge
Inspiration
Otrivin, a leader in nasal health, believes every child has the right to breathe cleaner air and that no action is too small towards this endeavour. Inspired by their brand purpose, we decided to take action to mitigate the impact toxic air has on the future of India’s underprivileged children, and to turn air pollution into something useful for them.
Idea
Otrivin Pollution Capture Pencils are made with air pollution residue captured from schools with the poorest air quality in India. Certified non-toxic, these pencils were distributed to the schools’ children and are also being used as a fundraising tool to finance air purifiers for more schools critically impacted by air pollution.
Growth
The pilot project ran in three schools in Bengaluru, India – the country’s asthma capital. Fundraising efforts are underway to buy 100 new air purifiers by early 2023, to help more schools in need. In the long term, the hope is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem through the sale of pencils.
Please provide your contact information to continue. Detailed information on the processing of your personal data can be found in our Privacy Policy. (in particular the "How Do We Use It?" Section).
Related Content
Freedom Cups
Freedom Cups: Period Poverty Chronicles
Helping underprivileged females be #freefromperiodpoverty, one story at a time
Read Case Study 
Amili Asia
Scroll scroll scroll, tap tap tap
A radio ad that reminds us to look at the one piece of crap that could save our life.
Read Case Study