One Planet Paper® is a nature positive and climate positive.

With our background in environmental activism, it was natural for us to aim high from the start. We’re not a company who try to be green, but we are green who try to build a company. So we adjusted our Banana Paper to both the technical and bio cycle for authentic circularity. In 2016 we became Fair Trade Verified (WFTO). And in 2021, after working wiht nature positive solutions, we could add a new value: Climate Positiveness.

So, what’s Climate Positive?

The definition according to UN is this:

“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) 

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. After making as much efforts as possible to reduce the CO2 during the entire production and supply chain, adding nature positive solutions will protect endangered animals and their habitats. This in turn lead to regenerating biodiversity which in turn absorb even greater amounts of CO2. Just imagine elephants being protected through forest protection projects and by engaging people who are in the risk zone of falling into poaching…and you help Elephants pant trees! According to WWF, elephants may have planted as many as 1/3 of all trees in southern parts of Africa.

Going climate positive is not the perfect solution. There will be better ways in the future, but we can not afford to wait for the perfect system before we act. We decided to act, and partnered up with the Award-winning African-based social enterprise Bio Carbon Partners. BCP work with one of Africas largest UN supported REDD+ forest protection projects. And they “build” a green corridor in Africa connecting 5 National Parks, where the endangered Wild Dog have started to settle in! Their projects in Zambia (Lower Zambesi and Luangwa) tackles the root causes linked to the economic and social reasons behind deforestation. It benefits more than 200,000 local people so far, helping to protect forests as large as over 1,5 million football-fields (2023).

What we try to do?

Since One Planet Café was established 10+ years ago, we’ve worked with solutions to help slow down climate change. Step-by-step we’ve found exciting ways of reducing CO2. Both in our business as a whole, as in our Banana Paper project. We had big challenges in the start. For example “How do we transport the fiber to Japan and UK when there are pirate-incidents outside Africas East coast?”. We had no choice but using air-freigth in the beginning, but with the clear aim of shifting to ocean-freight as soon as possible.

Today we transport by ocean. And succeeded to cut the CO2 from freight by over 80%.

So, is it possible do reach 100%? What do you think? What are your ideas? We are open to ideas that can help us move towards 100%.

Solar Powered Factory

In the beginning, our office in Zambia ran on 100% direct Solar. We built a “solar tree” right outside our office and could later connect it to our factory kitchen and building where we held daily meetings, and study the SDGs (Global Goals) together with our Zambian Team. But our factory did not run on solar. In the beginning of 2024, we succeeded to implement a complete solar system supported by our Japanese printing and paper company partners. Now our banana paper factory in Zambia can run completely on solar power! And we also produce beautiful handmade banana paper for several lodges around South Luangwa National Park. Read article here.

Our home office i Japan and our base in Sweden runs on renewable electricity (direct and contract based). We own no company cars in Japan or Sweden, instead using train, bicycles and our feet as much as possible, to commute.

We introduced a “no-fly policy” for domestic business trips already when we established One Planet Café in Japan in 2012. We do not succeed with this “avoiding flights” all the time, but this no-fly policy have resulted in using the train in newrly 75% of the cases. We became a meatfree company (no red meat for our employees or for events or business trips), we use organic / fairtrade clothes and / or uniforms…and much more.

Someone said that “Sustainability is not a destination, but a journey.” So we invite you to become a part of this journey!

Trees are renewable, forests are NOT!

Reducing CO2 is no longer enough. We also need to work on getting the CO2 out of the atmosphere . This is also necessary in our quest for truly circular materials and services – the very base for our original Banana Paper idea. After all, trees may be renewable, but forests are not!

1. FIBER – All banana fibers are carbon neutral

Description→ The raw material for banana paper – banana fiber – is carbon neutral. The CO2 “from the banana fields in Zambia to the warehouses of Japan” is offset through protection of forests in Zambia. Eligibility: All fibers from 2019 onwards

2. PAPER – Banana Paper becomes a climate positive paper

Description→ Only the Fairtrade verified banana paper (20% banana fiber or more *) is Climate Positive. We calculated the CO2 emissions from banana fields in Zambia to the completion of paper in Japan and paper factories in the UK*). It is an internal LCA including Scope 1, 2 and much of scope 3 **). It includes everything from getting the banana trees (stems) from the banana fields, extracting the fibre, transport, refining, pulping, making the paper, and even our business trips to Zambia. Eligibility: All paper production of the fair trade Banana Paper from 2020 onwards. NOTE: We have not included the CO2 (carbon) absorbed by the banana fields, yet.

*) Includes when mixed with FSC or recycled pulp.

**) Collaborating with Tokyo Musashino University for LCA.

As far as we’ve researched, this is now the first nature positive based (Climate Positive) paper in Japan and the worlds first combined Fair Trade x Climate Positive paper.

Below: Certificate

120% CO2

Through banana paper, we have been taking various measures against climate change. From the production of banana fibers in Zambia to the paper production itself. Both at Japan and UK factories. It absorbs more CO2 (120%) than the banana paper emits.

Background

We were never really fans of carbon offset / climate compensationprojects. But one day we came across a holistic carbon offset project that was just in our backyard – near our Banana Paper project in Zambia. And just like banana paper, it integrates not only climate work, but also social work on the ground AND biodiversity conservation.

We met the representative in person and have also ourselves visited the forests we now help protect. The people in the area told us this: “If we didn’t have this carbon offset project here, the forest would have been gone by now”.

This initiative supports reducing CO2 emissions and climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. It also contributes to protecting forests equivalent to more than 1.5 million football fields, livelihoods for 225,000 people, and thousands of wild elephants. A total reduction of 14 million tons of CO2.

Why

Climate change is now affecting our planet and health. Landslides, wildfires, floods, heat waves…

The SDGs were adopted in 2015. That same year, an international agreement on climate change (global warming) was also agreed on. The Paris Agreement.

As of December ’20, 189 countries have pledged to limit the increase in global average temperature to less than 1.5 °C. The average temperature has already risen by about 1.1 ° C. We must act hastily. Reducing CO2 emissions, which is the cause of the problem, is an important issue. But that’s not enough.

It is necessary to absorb and fix CO2 already emitted into the atmosphere.

Paper and Products Climate Positive, Fairtrade Certified Banana Paper:

[Product example]

・Business Cards There are many dealers

Search on the One Planet Paper Association website. When ordering business cards, please specify paper containing 20% banana fiber.

・Stickers >> Stickers

・Sustainable Packaging>> Miyazawa Corporation

・LUSH Gift Box “All The Best” >> Lush

Others are handled by member companies of the One Planet Paper Association – a network of over 30 printing- and paper product making firms towards spreading the Banana Paper. For more information, please visit the Associations website.