KOCHI: The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), on Wednesday, launched its 2017 desk calendar, made solely of seed paper (plantable paper).
Made completely of recycled and recyclable materials, each page is handmade using post-consumer material and embedded with wildflower, herb or vegetable seeds. When the paper is planted in a pot of soil or outside in a garden, the seeds in the paper germinate and grow into plants with the paper turning into compost leaving behind a variety of flora, zero waste and human footprints.
The calendar was officially released by Mayor Soumini Jain by handing over a copy to Hamsakunju, former Mayor on Wednesday. She also planted the first page of the calendar.
The seed paper calendar is embedded with the seeds of various indigenous vegetables and flowers including sunflower, tomato and red amaranthus (cheera) among others. After each month, the owner can tear each page and plant it on a pot of soil.
Detailed instructions on planting the paper are provided on the front page of the calendar. It should be followed accurately and sufficient care should be given to each paper just like planting normal seeds. After 12 months, the calendar would completely disappear into the soil and 12 different seeds will sprout in your garden. Even the design on the calendar has been done in the image of a green leaf which will remind you to adhere to environmentally friendly development strategy
“Since its inception, KMRL has strived to be more than an organization which creates modern infrastructure in the city. It believes in the vision of a Kochi that is not just futuristic but also environment-friendly. The seed paper calendar is one of the many initiatives designed and implemented to achieve this goal,” said KMRL managing director Elias George.