As the founder of MOYU, I’ve always believed in the power of sustainable choices. Therefore I have requested Tessa Mouw to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment.
From the very start, the mission was clear—to create products that are not only practical but also friendly for the environment. That’s why we focused on developing reusable stone paper notebooks. But belief alone isn’t enough. Clients requested more data to prove that our products really do have a lower environmental impact than traditional paper notebooks. So, we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure the environmental footprint of our stone paper notebooks compared to conventional wood pulp notebooks.
What is a Life Cycle Assessment?
For those unfamiliar with Life Cycle Assessment, it's a method used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product across its entire lifecycle—from raw material extraction to manufacturing, transportation, usage, and ultimately disposal. In other words, it helps you understand the full environmental cost of a product, not just in one phase but throughout its entire existence. We followed the ISO standards for this LCA to ensure accuracy and transparency.
In my opinion, LCA is one of the most valuable tools out there for any company looking to truly understand the impact of its products. It's not just about saying you're sustainable—it's about proving it. And for us, it was crucial to see how our stone paper notebooks stacked up against traditional wood pulp notebooks.
Stone Paper notebooks vs. Wood Pulp notebooks: What did we learn?
At MOYU, our reusable stone paper notebooks are made from 80% calcium carbonate and 20% high-density polyethylene. This unique composition not only makes them more durable (you can reuse them up to 500 times) but also requires significantly fewer resources to produce than traditional paper. However, we needed concrete proof, which is why we dived deep into this Life Cycle Assessment.
One of the standout findings for me was how much longer our stone paper notebooks last compared to traditional ones. Over a three-year period, one of our notebooks can replace up to 15 wood pulp notebooks. That’s 15 times fewer trees being cut down and 15 times less paper being discarded. The LCA showed that, during this time, a wood pulp notebook would generate 6 kg of CO2 emissions, while a MOYU stone paper notebook would only produce 0.37 kg. That’s a 94% reduction in emissions, further reinforcing the positive environmental impact of our reusable notebooks.
Understanding the impact across the lifecycle
Breaking down the lifecycle of both products gave us valuable insights into where the environmental costs really lie.
Production Phase: Unsurprisingly, the production phase accounted for the highest emissions for both products. For wood pulp notebooks, 74% of their total emissions came from paper production alone, mainly because of deforestation and the energy-intensive processes involved. In contrast, the production of stone paper doesn’t involve cutting down trees, nor does it use water or harsh chemicals, leading to significantly lower emissions.
Transportation: Shipping is another important factor. Traditional wood pulp notebooks, especially those made in China, have significant emissions from being transported across long distances. And for your reference, most notebooks found in retail are produced in the far east. MOYU’s stone paper is produced in Taiwan, but the final product is produced in the Netherlands and Belgium, therefore just a part of resources needed for the notebook is being transported. This is done by ship to reduce the impact.
End-of-Life: I’ll admit that the end-of-life phase for stone paper notebooks is still an area where we can improve. Currently, there’s no large-scale recycling stream for stone paper in Europe, meaning our notebooks often end up in incineration, which contributes to CO2 emissions. However, we’re actively exploring solutions for recycling stone paper in the future. Therefore we have set up the Stone Paper Alliance to work on not only the local production, but also recycling.
Looking ahead: opportunities for improvement
I think what stood out most, is that even without recycling locally, the impact is so drastically much lower. People overestimate the efficiency of paper recycling, still in need of about 50% fresh pulp and 100% water.
However, one of the areas I’m particularly focused on now is the recycling of stone paper. Although our notebooks last longer and replace multiple traditional notebooks, eventually they do reach the end of their life. If we could create a system where stone paper can be recycled and reused in new products, we could drastically reduce the overall CO2 emissions. Especially because the paper has a cradle to cradle certificate.
I’m also interested in looking at other environmental impacts beyond climate change, such as biodiversity and water usage. One of the reasons I was drawn to stone paper in the first place is that it doesn’t require water during production—a stark contrast to the traditional paper-making process. These factors matter, and they’re part of the broader story we want to share, which is in the end about giving back to nature.
Conclusion: the power of Stone Paper notebooks
Conducting this Life Cycle Assessment has only strengthened my belief that MOYU is on the right path. Our stone paper notebooks offer a tangible solution to reducing paper waste and lowering CO2 emissions. It’s not just about selling a product—it’s about making a real impact on the planet.
I hope this LCA inspires more people to rethink their everyday choices and consider the long-term effects of the products they use. At MOYU, we’ll continue innovating and pushing the boundaries of sustainable products. And as always, I’m committed to being transparent about our journey, sharing both our successes and the areas where we can still improve.
If you’re curious about the environmental impact of your notebook, or if you want to learn more about stone paper and our efforts at MOYU, I encourage you to explore further. Together, we can make a difference—one stone paper notebook at a time.