Ethical Consumption Through Paper Products

This article reports on the Sustainable Brands OPEN SEMINAR "Ethical Consumption Through Paper Products," held on February 21, 2024. We present a digest of the panel discussion featuring Hiroshi Tachikawa of Nippon Paper Industries, Toshihiko Hasegawa of Nippon Paper Crecia, and Tatsuhiko Seki, Editor-in-Chief of Kodansha's FRaU magazine. The session was facilitated by Rie Tanaka of Dentsu Inc.'s Sustainability Consulting Office.

<Table of Contents>
▼ Ethical Initiatives in Each Company's Business

▼ Trees Past Maturity Absorb Little CO2

▼ Will Ethical Products Justify Higher Prices in Japan?

▼ Adding Excitement to Recycling

▼ What's the Key to Expanding Ethical Consumption in Japan?

Ethical Initiatives in Each Company's Business

Tachikawa: As the name suggests, the Nippon Paper Group manufactures paper. This includes printing paper, tissues, toilet paper rolls, and paper cartons. We also produce cardboard that doesn't get wet when filled with ice (as an alternative to polystyrene foam), rain-resistant election boards, and biomass products.

Cellulose nanofibers, made by extracting only the finest cellulose from wood, have diverse applications. Added to sunscreen, they reduce separation after shaking. Used in tires, they enhance strength. As cattle feed, they slow digestion, supporting cattle health and increasing milk fat content. Additionally, we operate energy businesses like biomass power generation and building materials based on wood as our core business. Recently, we've also started producing Elite Tree seedlings (which produce less than half the pollen and grow 1.5 times faster).

The Nippon Paper Group's slogan is "Building the Future with Trees." Its business model centers on three cycles: forest resource circulation, wood resource circulation, and product recycling. Domestically, it owns approximately 90,000 hectares of company-owned forests stretching from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It also conducts afforestation in Brazil and Australia to secure raw materials. Maximizing forest value and expanding biomass products form the company's growth strategy, contributing to the creation of a circular society. This approach reduces raw material costs and generates carbon credits while aligning with societal needs such as forest conservation, biodiversity preservation, and plastic reduction.

Hasegawa: Regarding the orange "Proactive Product Recycling" on the right side of the three cycles mentioned in Mr. Tachikawa's presentation, Nippon Paper Crecia is involved through its paper pack recycling. A portion of the raw materials for Scotty products uses recovered paper packs, such as milk cartons.

Hasegawa: Paper cartons contain high-quality pulp sandwiched between inner and outer protective polyfilms. Even when filled with beverages like milk, the inner pulp remains completely dry. We remove the polyfilms and use this pulp as raw material. Historically, it was treated the same as virgin pulp, and we maintain product quality that satisfies our customers.

Hasegawa: Starting in 2021, we discontinued the conventional 12-roll standard for toilet paper and shifted to specifications lasting 1.5 to 3 times longer. The 3x longer-lasting option, in particular, offers consumer benefits like easier carrying due to its size being about one-third smaller and fewer refills needed. On the distribution side, it brings advantages like improved delivery and stocking efficiency and reduced inventory space. For us, it means reductions in logistics costs, inventory space, and auxiliary materials. For the planet, CO2 emissions are reduced by approximately 49% compared to 12 rolls (transportation and raw materials), and it also reduces plastic film usage. This creates a win-win situation for "consumers," "distribution," "manufacturers," and "the planet."

Seki: As a magazine publisher, paper is indispensable for us. "FRaU" is a lifestyle single-theme magazine launched in 1991. In 2018, we created what was likely the world's first women's magazine dedicated entirely to the SDGs.

September 1, 2023, marked the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, so we dedicated an entire issue to disaster preparedness. Less than six months later, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck in January 2024. We considered what FRaU could do and made the digital edition of our disaster preparedness feature available for free download for three months. Even if you think you know about disaster preparedness, it's essential to keep your knowledge current.

Sekine: Our next issue will feature trees. Many people still mistakenly believe "trees must never be cut down," and we want to change that mindset.

Trees past their mature stage absorb almost no CO2

Tachikawa: While everyone knows trees grow by absorbing CO₂, they don't grow forever. Once they reach a certain size, they stop growing further. At this stage, photosynthesis decreases, and the amount used through respiration becomes nearly balanced, meaning they effectively absorb almost no CO2. Therefore, the cycle of harvesting mature trees for use, planting new seedlings, and returning them to the forest is actually necessary for that forest to continue absorbing CO2 indefinitely. Japan is a resource-poor country, but it has abundant forests. How we effectively utilize wood as a resource will become a major challenge for Japan going forward.

Sekine: Is the harvesting period measured in decades?

Tachikawa: Generally, it's said to be around 40 to 50 years. Actually, looking at Japan's forests over the past 2000 years or so, they are currently at their densest. The trees planted after the war have grown, and we really need to harvest more. We also need to make good use of these trees and replant new forests.

In Japan too, will ethical considerations justify continued purchases even at higher prices?

Tanaka: Dentsu Inc.'s 2023 Sustainable Lifestyle Awareness Survey found that across six countries (Japan, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand), respondents agreed that "daily necessities with sustainability considerations can be purchased at fair prices." Scotty is also an ethical product at an accessible price point.

Tanaka: Conversely, regarding "reasons to buy even at a higher price," while ethical reasons top the list in France and Germany, in Japan, ethical considerations are recognized but not the top reason to buy—ranking around fourth or fifth. In Japan, the main reason to buy even at a higher price is "high quality." In reality, most people probably don't buy Scotty because it's ethical, but because the paper quality is good or refilling is easy, right?

Hasegawa: Yes, I think convenience is the main factor for most people. Others simply like the packaging. Since it's not widely known that over 60% of collected paper cartons are used by Nippon Paper Crecia, we want to communicate this and encourage consumers to consider it as one of their selection criteria going forward.

Tachikawa: Plastic is convenient and cheap, but it has a huge environmental impact. This creates potential future costs, essentially an external diseconomy. I think the perspective of wanting to keep buying ethical, low-environmental-impact materials – ones that avoid future costs – will emerge, not just because the price is low now.

Seki: Data shows younger people are more likely to "buy ethical products even if they're more expensive." The mindset of "it's fine if what I buy turns out to be ethical after I use it" isn't necessarily wrong. But is it okay for that person to remain unaware forever? As explained earlier, if ethical products are made considering not just consumers but also manufacturers, the planet, and distribution, it's fine if they don't realize it at first, but we hope they become aware at some point. I think it's important for each individual ethical purchase ( ) to be seen as contributing to the larger SDGs and to serve as a catalyst for thinking.

The excitement that recycling lacks

Tanaka: In Japan, buying refills is common, but participation in recycling programs hasn't really taken root.

Hasegawa: Nowadays, more people are using refillable soft packs—tissues in plastic pouches—reportedly choosing them because "it reduces waste." But "tissue boxes aren't waste; they're resources," serving as materials for cardboard and such. While the switch from plastic to paper packaging for snacks has drawn attention, tissues have always come in paper boxes, making their eco-friendliness less noticeable. We also display the "Box is Eco" mark on our products. We want people to fold them up and recycle them instead of throwing them away.

From the audience: Honestly, I don't want to recycle. I feel it's a burden to push even serious responsibilities that companies should consider onto consumers. For example, in Japan, when selling eggs priced at 10 yen each for 40 yen, they might market them as high quality. In Korea, they'd likely add something fun and exciting like "eggs laid by happy birds." Could Japan also add enjoyment or joy to recycling?

Hasegawa: Value and rewards vary for each person, but that's an excellent question. Recently, within the "Action for Smile Campaign" for Scotty series purchases—where you could enter a prize draw based on purchase amount—we created a "Daily Steady Course." This offered a chance to win by sending in either 16 toilet roll cores, 10 tissue boxes, or 8 cores + 5 boxes. Participants covered shipping costs, and despite the effort involved, the number of entries far exceeded our expectations. We plan to share that the paper collected through this campaign will be recycled at our factory. The fact that people entered not for point rewards but for a campaign contributing to society suggests a valuable hint for future initiatives.

Tanaka: You're right, recycling isn't exactly thrilling. But I can picture those who signed up for this Daily Dose Course thinking, "Great, I've got some saved up!" when their toilet paper runs out. In Japan, both companies and consumers tend to approach things as "something we have to do." We want to move toward a new lifestyle, one that's more exciting.

Seki: When Mr. Takizawa Shuichi from Machine Guns asked elementary students, "How many types of garbage do you think there are?" they usually answered "7 or 8 types." But the correct answer is just two: "combustible waste" and "non-combustible waste." Everything else is a resource. At the Zero Waste Center in Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima, the collection space is neatly divided into over 40 categories, and there's absolutely no unpleasant smell. No one would think it's trash. Since we decide what's trash ourselves, I think the important thing is having the mindset to sort within our capabilities and increase the resources that aren't trash.

What's the key to spreading ethical consumption in Japan?

A viewer's comment: "It's burdensome for companies to impose even serious matters they should consider onto consumers. Can we make recycling enjoyable or rewarding?" Editor-in-Chief Seki's remarks: "Each act of ethical consumption connects to broader SDGs / sparks reflection" and "We decide what constitutes waste." These statements offer valuable insights into "what's needed to further expand ethical consumption and recycling."

This seminar provided an opportunity to learn about CO2 absorption and reduction through forest cycles and product transportation, using everyday essentials like tissues and toilet paper rolls. It encouraged reflection on how paper products come from trees and how paper cartons and tissue boxes can be utilized as resources. Merely buying compact sizes without awareness is insufficient. Recognizing that products come from natural resources, and ensuring that every product and every aspect of life connects with nature and circulates – both when purchasing and when recycling – feels like a new kind of affluence. Finding more exciting ways to communicate and engage people seems key to spreading ethical consumption in Japan.

*For this article, the order of individual statements has been rearranged and summaries have been included.

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