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Sojitz Pla-Net Contributes to Reducing Global Warming by Selling Plastic Grocery Bags with Carbon Offsets

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Oct. 28, 2009

Sojitz Pla-Net Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sojitz Corporation that manufactures and markets plastic resin products (based in Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Toshihisa Horikoshi), will begin selling plastic grocery bags with carbon offsets to retail establishments as functional material products in November to create opportunities for environmental contribution as environmental measures addressing global warming gain momentum. Through the sale of these plastic grocery bags with carbon offsets, Sojitz Pla-Net is supporting carbon dioxide reduction projects and contributing to the prevention of global warming.

Sojitz Pla-Net, in cooperation with Nakagawa Seitai Kako Co., Ltd. (based in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture; president: Kentaro Nakagawa), a manufacturer of plastic film products, plans to sell 150 million plastic bags with offsets in fiscal 2011, contributing to carbon dioxide reductions through a 15,000 ton carbon dioxide credit. This is an opportunity to use plastic grocery bags, a ubiquitous presence in our lives, to raise awareness among consumers about preventing global warming and to create opportunities for consumers to make contributions to environmental preservation in their day-to-day lives. In addition, retail stores can improve customer service and convenience and enhance their social contributions and corporate images. As a result of these measures, with a single grocery bag, consumers can make carbon offsets equivalent to the volume of one-hundred 500-ml bottles.

Carbon offsets are activities that businesses and individuals who feel responsible for the emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that are unavoidable in economic and daily activities conduct to reduce and absorb greenhouse gases by providing voluntary financial support to offset their own greenhouse gas emissions. Sojitz Pla-Net is providing the carbon offset services through Recycle One, Inc. (based on Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; president: Yosuke Kiminami), the Japan representative office of U.K.-based The CarbonNeutral Company Limited, the world’s largest carbon offset company.

The carbon dioxide reduction credits used for the carbon offsets are Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) created under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM*), a Kyoto credit program certified by the United Nations. The CERs are nullified by transfer to the Japanese government and contribute to achieving the targets of the Kyoto Protocol.

Sojitz Pla-Net will use the emissions framework of the Sojitz Group and develop environmental-preservation businesses by expanding the use of carbon offsets from plastic grocery bags to other plastic packaging materials.

* CDM projects are greenhouse gas reduction projects conducted in developing countries jointly by developed and developing countries to developing countries to acquire Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) credits for a portion of the resulting reductions, contributing to a reduction in emissions in the developing country.

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[Plastic Grocery Bags with Carbon Offsets]

Overview of Nakagawa Seitai Kako

Name Nakagawa Seitai Kako Co., Ltd.
Representative Kentaro Nakagawa, President
Head office Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Capital 450 million yen
Business activities Manufacture and sale of plastic film and other products

Overview of Recycle One

Name Recycle One, Inc.
Representative Yosuke Kiminami, President
Head office Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Capital 909.62 million yen
Business activities Environmental consulting. Conducts investigations for government agencies, environmental consulting for major businesses, operation of a plastic recycling business, and carbon dioxide related services such as carbon offsets. http://www.co2-os.jp/

Overview of The CarbonNeutral Company Limited

Established in 1997.The world’s first carbon offset company.The first company in the world to sell carbon offsets as a service.Since its establishment, it has also provided consulting services concerning carbon offsets and global warming prevention measures.

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