We’re Climate Positive!

2021.10.13

NEWS: Japans first Climate Positive paper!

Forests and elephants are decreasing – while CO2 is increasing…Now, imagine if we could contribute to the exact opposite?!

Our journey towards an authentic sustainable paper continues by taking the next big step: our fair trade banana paper is now Climate Positive!

We are happy to announce this so close to COP26 – UNs Climate Change Conference Oct 31-Nov 12.

1. All our banana fibers from Zambia originates from organic banana fields and are carbon neutral – all the way from the fields in Zambia to the storeage in Japan and UK.

2. All our fair trade verified banana paper is now Climate Positive – from the fields in Zambia to the final paper production in Japan and UK.

*) paper with 20%-25% banana fiber.

The Certificate

 So, what’s Climate Positive? 

“Removing more climate gases than the value chain emits while at the same time reducing emissions in line with the 1.5 degree goal from Paris” (Source: UNFCCC) 

From the very start 10 years ago, we have worked with climate change and reducing CO2 in our business and through our Banana Paper project. Solar and windpower offices, bicycle and train commuting, becoming a meatfree company, changing delivery routes and much more.

But reducing CO2 is no longer enough for us humans. We also need to work on getting the CO2 out of the atmosphere towards climate positivity. And this is also necessary in our quest for truly circular materials and services.

Less CO2, More elephants!

Planting trees to absorb CO2 is good. Protecting already existing trees even better. But protecting existing forests from deforestation together with local people is one of the best ways to maximize every possible carbon sink. Doing so will protect endangered animals and their habitats – which will lead to regenerating biodiversity even further – which in turn can absorb even greater amounts of CO2.

There may be a better way in the future, but we can not afford to wait for the perfect system before we act.

So we at One Planet Café decided to act NOW!

We partnered up with the recognized and African-based social enterprise Bio Carbon Partners who work with one of Africas largest UN supported REDD+ forest protection projects. They also build a green corridor in Africa connecting 5 National Parks. Their projects in Zambia (Lower Zambesi and Luangwa) tackles the root causes linked to the economic and social reasons behind deforestation.

Organic bananas at one of our farmers in Zambia

Why is it important?

Torrential rains, heat waves, forest fires and landslides…

With the effects of climate change impacting on everyday life, there is an urgent need for all actors to take steps toward decarbonization. 

The paper industry may contribute as much as 7% of the worlds CO2, and 1 kg of virgin pulp paper can have a carbon footprint of more than 10 kg CO2 (Source: EEPN European Environmental Paper Network).

Paper is will play a bigger role in the removal of plastics. It’s therefore a huge responsibility to reduce CO2 holistically.

At the same time, people in extreme poverty often cut trees to use as firewood or sell, and in the worst cases become poachers killing wildlife to support a very basic living.

Poverty, loss of endangered animals, and CO2 is connected. And this is the reason we started the Banana Paper Project 10 years ago. A quest to produce a truly sustainable paper. A positive choice for the worlds paper and packaging makers.

After all, the “banana” in itself is a perfectly evolved “Made by Nature” packaging.

We have to limit the global warming to 1.5 °C (IPCC)

How is it done?

The total calculation of CO2 emissions includes 9 steps – from when the raw material is collected in the banana fields, fiber production, local transport, international transport (ocean),  energy usage of machines, pulp making and the final paper production at the paper factories in Japan and UK. A so called an LCA.

Our banana paper is biodegradable (14 days in a compost-test). But we included a  “risk-calculation” from possible end-of-life landfill emissions as well.

We are a sustainability specialized company, having produced the banana paper and supply chain from scratch. We call the banana paper LCA  “PHASE 1” and will develope it in the future. One aim: include the carbon sequestration from the banana fields.

All data is collected onsite (primary data) and/or from official CO2 tests and previous LCA studies (so called secondary data). We then offsett 150% of our carbon footprint to protect existing forests in Zambia, becoming a part of supporting 225,000 local people – who in turn help to protect both the forests and elephants.

The entire project is helping to protect 535 million trees reducing 7 million tonns of CO2 and is verified by the internationally recognized VCS Verified Carbon Standard.

In short, the more we can change from conventional paper to fair trade and Climate Positive banana paper, the more CO2 we can reduce.

Banana Paper business cards and gift boxes