One Planet Paper® is now also 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 cycle and the bio cycle for authentic circularity. In 2016 we became Fair Trade Verified (WFTO). And in 2021 we could ad 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) 

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. Just imagine the elephants. Elephants may have planted as many as 1/3 of all trees in southern parts of Africa (Source: WWF).

There may be a better way in the future, but we can not afford to wait for the perfect system before we act. We at One Planet Café decided to act, and partnered up with the Award winning and African-based social enterprise Bio Carbon Partners. BCP work with one of Africas largest UN supported REDD+ forest protection projects. They also 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.

This is the reason we want to be part of this, and we hope our clients will feel part of this system of protecting forests in the risk zone from being cut down.

And what do we try to do?

Since One Planet Café was established 10+ years ago, we’ve worked with 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. But with the aim at shifting to ocean freight as soon as we find a secure route.

We found it! And cut CO2 by over 80%!!

Now, is it possible do reach 100%? We are open to all ideas that can help!

Our office in Zambia runs on 100% direct Solar. We built a “solar tree” right outside our office! Our home office i Japan runs on windpower (contract based), while we own no company cars in Japan. Instead we use train, bicycles and our feet to commute.

We introduced a “no-fly policy” for many domestic business trips already when we established One Planet Café in Japan in 2012. We became a meatfree company (no red meat on our employees menu or for events or business trips!), use organic / fairtrade clothes or uniforms…and much more.

Trees are renewable, forests are NOT!

But reducing CO2 is no longer enough for us humans. 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. And it’s the very base for our original Banana Paper idea: “Trees are 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 **). Eligibility: All paper production of the fair trade Banana Paper from 2020 onwards.

*) 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 Climate Positive paper in Japan and the worlds first combined Fair Trade x Climate Positive paper.

Below: Certificate

150% 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 (150%) than the banana paper emits.

Background

We were never really fans of carbon offset projects. But one day we came across this 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.

This initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions and leads to climate action in line with the Paris Agreement, but also contributes to protecting forests equivalent to more than 1.3 million soccer fields, livelihoods for 225,000 people, and more than 20,000 elephants. A total reduction of 7 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.