Japanese Paper Making Use of Local Wood Helps Combat Global Warming and Loss of Biodiversity

Copyright Chuetsu Pulp & Paper Co.

Chuetsu Pulp & Paper Co., a Japanese manufacturer of printing paper, newspaper, and other paper products, started selling a cause-related marketing (CRM) paper product named "Satoyama-Monogatari" (translated as the "Story of Satoyama" on December 7, 2009, which are areas of rich biodiversity near human settlements in the countryside). The aim is to contribute to countermeasures against global warming and support for the conservation of biodiversity. The system of selling Satoyama-Monogatari products was set up with the support of the Network for Conservation and Restoration of Satoyama, a Japanese non-profit organization.

Satoyama-Monogatari is a printing paper that introduces the credits for domestically sourced timber chips mainly derived from the byproducts of forest thinning and a registered product of a campaign to use domestic timber in Japan called "Kizukai-Undo." The campaign is being promoted by the Forestry Agency, which is running it to encourage the use of domestic timber in order to increase the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbed by forests. Companies with registered products made of domestic timber can use the "Thank You for Being Green" stylemark and promote their contribution to CO2 absorption.

A certain amount is added to the price of the Satoyama-Monogatari paper as a donation, and through the Network these funds are used to support the activities of groups working to restore and conserve satoyamas across the nation in terms of money and goods. In effect, customers contribute to conserving biodiversity and combating global warming by purchasing the paper. The Network also offers information on the intended use of the donation -- where and how the donation is used -- upon request.

Posted: 2010/02/28 06:00:15 AM