Once Upon’s Next Chapter: How Once Upon Is Embracing Circularity Through the Nordic Circular Design Programme
Once Upon, founded in Skellefteå in Northern Sweden in 2016 as a small company with a passion for creating physical photo albums that make sense for today’s users, now has offices in Skellefteå, Piteå, Umeå, Örnsköldsvik, and Stockholm.
Once Upon is participating in the Nordic Circular Design Programme because they want to take bolder and more concrete action. Circularity as a principle has been part of the company’s thinking but is now being put into stronger practice. As a company creating and selling physical products, in their case photo books, Once Upon wants to take responsibility for its footprint in the world. That responsibility doesn’t stop at their own products but extends across their entire value chain. The programme provides the tools and the space to reflect, learn, and turn intention into clear direction.
For Once Upon, participating in the Nordic Circular Design Programme gives an opportunity to define what circularity means for them as a company and how it can support their shift toward a truly regenerative business model. The programme helps Once Upon work with circularity from the design phase to production, and ultimately to the delivery of their products, with the ambition of reducing waste and lowering their overall impact.
Once Upon’s Sustainability Manager, Linda Ingolfsdottir, explains that through their participation they hope to define company-wide circular principles that teams across Once Upon can apply within their different areas of expertise. They want to integrate these principles into everyday decisions and daily work so that circular thinking becomes a natural part of how they operate. Right now, they are particularly interested in circular innovations, materials, and solutions, with the goal of integrating and scaling circular practices within their business in a practical and lasting way.
Once Upon aims to become a truly regenerative company. According to Linda Ingolfsdottir, when asked what circularity means for them: “It is a vital part of our thinking that we genuinely care about people and the planet, and we want the work we do and the products we offer to reflect that care.”
If your company is looking to move forward with circular products and services, you can apply to the third round of Nordic Circular Design Programme here or contact Ethica’s Principal Consultant Paula Fontell directly by email paula.fontell@ethica.fi.