India recently celebrated her 73^rd Republic Day recently on 26^th January, marking the anniversary of adoption of her constitution on this date in 1950. Besides the conventional commemorative parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military force; and the air force fly past show that I always look forward to, there was a unique aspect to this year’s celebration.

The Republic Day parade invitation card had a special touch to it. The card was made of seed paper with seeds of medicinal plants (Ashwagandha, Aloe Vera and Amla to name a few) infused in the paper and instructions to sow the card with the name of the plant mentioned on the card.

Seed paper is a special type or paper made with post-consumer materials, containing seeds, as also at times with fertilizer mixed during the production of paper. One way to made the paper is with recycled paper pulp with seeds incorporated into it. Or it can also be made with 2 thin layers of paper with seeds in between. The seed paper can have various seed types.

After reading the message, the card can be torn into pieces and the bits sown in soil to grow into a plant. For best results, it is covered with a thin layer of well-composted soil. It can be planted indoors or outdoors and should be kept moist until the seeds have germinated. Some seeds give better results if the card is soaked in water for about 24 hours before being covered with soil.

The seed paper is made from recycled material and is bio degradable. This printable and plantable material is a great solution for printed invitations and marketing material that is bound to leave a lasting impression on the recipient. It is indeed an Eco-friendly initiative from the Indian government and a subtle but strong reminder for circular green economy. This is the first time I had come across this concept and I look forward to see more use of seed paper in the times to come.

The weblink below gives instructions about how we can easily make seed paper at home. I am going to try this experiment and look forward to see others too trying it out!

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/seed-paper/

Reference

https://newsable.asianetnews.com/india/believe-it-or-not-republic-day-2022-invitation-card-is-also-a-seed-for-a-plant-r6bnyq

Image Credits

https://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/66/18518/India-specials/Government-of-Indias-Republic-Day-invitation-card-is-also-a-seed-for-a-plant