Using recycled paper from origami cranes, to establish a recycling process, support the independence of people with disabilities, and promote a peaceful society

Targets

8.5　By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

12.5　By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

12.6　Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

12.8　By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

・To maintain the preservation of the A-Bomb Dome and contribute to a peaceful society

・To donate 10 million yen to the Hiroshima City Atomic Bomb Dome Preservation Project Fund by 2030 by donating one yen for each recycled origami crane business card

 

Initiative details

Our company was founded in Kumamoto in 1868, before moving to Nagasaki, and then after the war to Hiroshima. This year marks its 154th anniversary.
Japan is the only country in the world to have experienced atomic bombings. We, as a company with business ties to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, feel the meaning, the importance, and the mission of developing a business that recycles origami cranes gathered from all over the world expressing wishes for peace and makes products using the recycled paper.
Recycled paper made from origami cranes is used to make recycled business cards, and donations are made to the Atomic Bomb Dome Preservation Project Fund based on sales of the cards. Our company started our activities relating to these recycled origami crane business cards in 2011.
In order to make the recycled origami crane business cards, we have origami cranes that we receive from Hiroshima City sorted at a vocational aid center and make the paper for the cards at our workshop.
The recycled origami crane business cards are mainly used for local companies in Hiroshima. People who actually use these business cards tell us that they have a different feel from ordinary business cards and that this becomes a topic of conversation, helping first-time conversations to go smoothly. They also say that explaining the reasons for using origami crane business cards increases the perceived value of their companies.

We donate one yen for each recycled origami crane business card sold to the Hiroshima City Atomic Bomb Dome Preservation Project Fund, and as of the end of April 2021, we have donated 3,471,313 yen. In recent years, we have been in contact with elementary and junior high schools in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima City Hall, and other local public organizations to increase the number of people supporting the project. We will continue to work to increase public awareness of this activity.
The more people in Hiroshima, Japan, and around the world are aware of this activity and support it, the more people will use the recycled origami crane business cards, and the more money will be donated. In order to achieve this goal, we would like to see companies, schools, and local governments in Hiroshima use recycled origami crane business cards as a matter of course.
In addition, as more and more people use the recycled origami crane business cards, there will be more opportunities to make the paper, and there will be more sorting work for vocational aid facilities, helping to support the independence of people with disabilities.

 

Key Points

As part of our efforts to support the independence of people with disabilities, we ask the vocational aid facility to sort the paper cranes donated by Hiroshima City. Each time the amount of recycled paper used increases, the number of requests for sorting work increases, leading to stable employment.
In addition, from the perspective of effective use of resources, we will upcycle (*1) the origami cranes and milk carton pulp (*2) acquired from Hiroshima City into recycled products such as our own recycled origami crane paper and business cards and contribute to the CSR activities of companies that support our initiative.
In addition, we will continue the donations mentioned previously in order to preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome, a World Heritage Site, permanently and pass it on to future generations, helping to achieve lasting peace.
In this way, we will contribute to lasting peace by reproducing, replying to, and conveying people’s prayers for it.

 

(*1) Not just reuse, but the creation of products with higher value than the original products
(*2) High quality recycled pulp made from 100% recycled milk cartons

Bunkado Co., Ltd.

2-5-3 Kokutaijimachi Naka-Ku, Hiroshima

+81-082-241-2415

https://www.bunka-do.com/