Preserving everyday moments and old-growth forests
The Swedish photo book company Once Upon started with a simple idea: to make it easy to create photo books from mobile photos. Ten years later, the company is global and has a clear ambition to use its profits for much more than growth.
"We want the world to be better with us than without us," says Linda Ingolfsdottir, Sustainability Manager and Head of Suppliers and Customer Service at Once Upon.
An idea born out of a hectic life with small children
The company was founded in Skellefteå, and the idea came from CEO Linda Andersson, who wanted a simple solution for making photo books from her mobile phone pictures.
"She had just had her third child and realized that she never had time to sit for hours on end making photo albums. She wanted to be able to add photos to her phone every now and then," says Linda.
When no such solution existed, they created it themselves. The result was Once Upon, an app where users can build their photo books step by step. The app was launched in 2017 and is now used in over 55 countries. The company has its headquarters in Skellefteå and also has offices in Stockholm, Örnsköldsvik, Piteå, and Umeå.
Important everyday moments
Once Upon not only wants to help people create photo books, but also encourage them to appreciate everyday moments.
"We want to get people to stop and realize that the little moments in life are often the biggest," says Linda.
The company is also B Corp certified, which means that its operations must take into account people, the environment, and society.
– We have decided to use our growth for more than just profit. All stakeholders should be taken into account, not just the owners.
Since the company's products are based on paper and are therefore dependent on forests, a collaboration with Naturarvet felt obvious for Once Upon. At the same time, Linda emphasizes that their collaboration is not about buying their way out of climate impact.
– Climate compensation can never replace efforts to reduce emissions. For us, it is a complement. We are working in parallel to reduce our impact and contribute to solutions.
If she could wish for one change in the industry, it would be greater transparency regarding materials and supply chains.
– We have a close dialogue with our printing companies and suppliers, but the next step is the paper mills. It is often difficult to obtain information about the origin of the materials. If more people shared information, it would be much easier to find solutions, collaborate, and drive change.
Want to inspire more companies
Through its collaboration with Naturarvet, Once Upon contribute to the protection of more old growth forests, but they also want to inspire other companies.
– We hope that our contribution will enable more old-growth forests to be preserved and that more companies will see the value in protecting the nature we already have.
Linda Ingolfsdottir's clear advice for companies considering supporting Naturarvet :
– Don't wait. Many people are aware of the climate crisis, but often fail to take action. Contributing to forest conservation is a concrete way to make a difference.
Perhaps you have been inspired? Become a partner of Naturarvet support us in preserving carbon storage and biodiversity. Email us at info@naturarvet.se.