Company
Beleaf rises from the intention of turning a problem into an opportunity...
Once the banana fruit has been harvested the banana trunks are cut down to allow the next generation called "daughter" to grow faster. Traditionally, the cut trunk would be left on the ground to rot. This process releases thousands of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Bananas are harvested between every 6 to 9 months depending on climatic conditions and with over 10 million hectares of plantations around the world it represents a significant source of greenhouse gases.
Beleaf turns this problematic by-product of fruit production industry into a resource by creating a decorative veneer that has almost limitless applications in the architectural, design and joinery markets. Consumers can now choose to stop consuming more of our world's finite forest fibre resources and utilise a harmful waste product of another industry.
In summary the conversion process has the following benefits for our environment and future health of our planet:
- Decrease in CO2 emissions by 58% according to the report "Environmental Analysis of Beleaf Products", carried on by Wwf Italia and Centro Euro-Mediterraneo per i cambiamenti climatici (CMCC) in March 2012
- Utilize a by-product from another industry
- No extra land required to supply the resource
- Consumers have an option to positively help the environment through product use
Beleaf and Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco
On 28th January 2010 the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has launched a new action to preserve the forests: «Monaco s'engage contre la déforestation» (Monaco engages himself against deforestation). Beleaf s.a.m. happily and immediately joined this initiative signing to ensure to use environmentally friendly materials, to utilize raw materials in a responsible way, to suggest solutions to limit as much as possible the climate changes caused by CO2 emissions, to preserve biodiversity and decrease the waste of water. Every year the Prince Albert II of Monaco Fondation checks that every founding company that joined this action maintains its commitment.
Awards
Beleaf has won the Best of the Best Interzum Award 2011, during the most important wood fair in Cologne (Germany).
This is the comment of the jury:
"The new veneers of the Beleaf company can offer a wide variety of options – with regard to both creative and functional aspects. They stand out by an excellent green performance: during its life cycle, a banana tree produces one banana bunch only. After harvest, the stem is cut off. It decomposes releasing large quantities of environmentally harmful CO2. The new veneers are made 100 per cent from waste products of the banana plantation. In spite of an increased demand for veneers, woods can be reserved and CO2 emissions reduced".
