OpenCO2net developed a product-specific calculator for PaaPii that they can use to determine the carbon footprint of their manufactured products easily. During the development process, OpenCO2net also conducted a study on the emissions from clothing production, and based on this, a reference value was calculated, against which PaaPii can compare the results of their own calculations.

A Finnish clothing manufacturer, PaaPii Design Oy, wanted a calculator to determine the carbon footprint of their clothing. OpenCO2net developed a product-specific calculator for PaaPii based on the OpenCO2.net platform, compliant with the ISO 14 067 standard. This calculator allows PaaPii to easily calculate the carbon footprint of all their manufactured clothing in the future. OpenCO2net is responsible for the accuracy of the calculator and its emission factors, and they update the calculator’s data annually.

The calculator takes into account the emissions generated from the production of PaaPii’s clothing from cradle to grave. It includes specific emission factors for the raw materials used in PaaPii’s clothing, considering the origin of the fibres and the stages of the production chains up to fabric manufacturing. Additionally, the calculator considers elements such as snaps, packaging materials, transportation, factory energy use, and an estimate of the emissions during the clothing’s use phase.

“Initially, calculating the carbon footprint felt very abstract and difficult. However, with the calculator developed by OpenCO2net, it has become a manageable and comprehensible whole. We can now easily test how, for example, more efficient material use in the Uljas shirt could impact the product’s carbon footprint. This information motivates us to improve our product design, production, and communication. We believe that a product-specific carbon footprint is also easy for our customers to understand. We can hardly wait to share the results with everyone” says PaaPii’s communications designer and sustainability expert, Anu Corin.

A lot has already been done for sustainability at PaaPii. In spring 2021, OpenCO2net helped PaaPii to determine the company’s entire carbon footprint. After the assessment, Paari has continued its ongoing sustainability efforts by further reducing emissions. For example, electricity at PaaPii’s Kokkola factory is generated from renewable energy, and the main raw material for its products is sustainable organic cotton with low carbon emissions. PaaPii has been ranked in the highest A-category in a sustainability study commissioned by the Pro Ethical Trade Finland.