A New Chapter for an Icon: Caran d’Ache Chooses #tide ocean material for Its Fibralo Pen Range

For more than a century, Caran d’Ache has embodied Swiss precision, craftsmanship and reliability. The Geneva-based Maison has earned the trust of artists, designers and students around the world not only through the quality of its products, but through an unwavering commitment to consistency over time.

This commitment runs deep. When Caran d’Ache introduces a colour, a pencil or a writing instrument, it becomes part of a long-term promise to its users. Rather than following short-term trends, the Maison maintains its products and colour references for generations, ensuring artists can rely on the same tools throughout their creative journey.

That is what makes the Maison's latest decision particularly significant.

Preserving a Legacy of Consistency

Caran d’Ache has partnered with #tide to integrate #tide ocean material into its iconic Fibralo™ fibre-tipped pen range. Introduced more than 60 years ago, Fibralo has become a staple for generations of creatives and has remained remarkably unchanged since its launch. The transition to #tide ocean material therefore marks the first significant material redesign in the product's history.

The bodies and caps of Fibralo™, Fibralo™ Brush and Swisscolor fibre-tipped pens are now manufactured using 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic, replacing virgin plastic while maintaining the performance, durability and quality standards for which the Maison is known.

The material originates from plastic waste collected in coastal regions vulnerable to marine pollution. Through #tide's traceable collection networks and local recycling infrastructure, this waste is transformed into high-quality recycled raw material suitable for demanding industrial applications and Swiss Made production.

For a Maison such as Caran d’Ache, where product changes are made with exceptional care and long-term responsibility, the adoption of #tide ocean material represents a powerful vote of confidence in recycled materials.

Recycled Materials Meeting Swiss Quality Standards

Preserving everything users expect from a Fibralo pen—durability, reliability and consistency—was essential throughout the transition. The result demonstrates that recycled ocean-bound plastic can meet the stringent requirements of one of Switzerland's most respected creative brands.

The collaboration also delivers a measurable environmental benefit. According to an independent life cycle assessment (LCA) commissioned by #tide, replacing virgin plastic with #tide ocean material enables the Maison to reduce the carbon footprint of its fibre-tipped pen ranges by nearly 50%. The result demonstrates that significant environmental gains can be achieved without compromising the performance, durability and quality standards expected from Swiss Made products.

For #tide, the collaboration highlights the growing role recycled materials can play in premium manufacturing. When a Maison known for preserving products and colour references across generations chooses to redesign one of its most iconic products around recycled material, it sends a powerful signal to the market about the maturity and quality of circular materials.

“Every pen tells a story. Together with Caran d’Ache, we are turning a story of waste into one of creativity.”
Thomas Schori, CEO and Co-founder of Tide Ocean

By bringing #tide ocean material into one of Switzerland's most enduring creative tools, Caran d’Ache and #tide show how innovation can respect tradition while helping build a more circular future. Sometimes meaningful change is not about creating something entirely new—it is about carefully improving something that has already stood the test of time.

For a Maison that has preserved the essence of Fibralo for more than six decades, this first major evolution sends a clear message: recycled materials have earned their place among the highest standards of Swiss manufacturing.