Sustainability, a natural part of everything we do
At Once Upon, our vision is one of a holistic future, anchored in a commitment to our dedicated team, cherished customers, and the planet we share. Our mission is simple yet profound: to create value that goes beyond just profit. Every action we take has a reaction elsewhere, and we want to take responsibility for our actions as well as the reactions they cause. This isn't just an understanding; it's a commitment. Our perception of the world holds more than just our business operations. It's deeply rooted in all the connections we establish with our surroundings. Our B Corp certification reinforces our commitment to a holistic view of business, evaluating impact in its entirety. By embracing this approach, we strive to create a positive ripple effect that extends farther than our company and into the wider community, making a meaningful and lasting difference in the world. Our work consists of four areas, each of them representing our commitment to sustainability. While these areas guide us, we acknowledge that our work is ongoing, and we continually strive to reach our goals, learning and growing every step of the way.
B Corp
We are B Corp certified, which reflects our commitment to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance.
Certification
We’re proud of our B Corp certification and see it as a testament to all of the hard work and dedication our team constantly commits to, ensuring that we continuously meet high social and environmental standards.
Business as a force for good
Through our actions, we aspire to be an instrument for positive global change. We believe that businesses have an essential role in societal challenges, stepping in where governments or non-profits fall short. As a B Corp, we're dedicated to using our growth for greater purposes than monetary gain, prioritizing the well-being of our employees, communities, and the environment. Traditionally, businesses have often prioritized shareholders above all. However, at Once Upon, our B Corp journey has underlined the importance of considering every stakeholder in our ecosystem. From our employees and suppliers to our customers and the communities we serve, we're dedicated to ensuring that all voices are valued and considered in our decision-making process.
Commitment to future generations
Our allegiance to the B Corp “Declaration of Interdependence” is unwavering. We vow: — to work hard for the changes we wish to witness in the world. — to conduct our business with the conviction that every individual, everything, and every place has inherent value. — to ensure that our products, practices, and profits do no harm and also benefit all, recognizing our shared responsibility for the present and future generations.
Business
Once Upon balances profit with purpose and strives for transparency that produces positive effects beyond our company's walls. We always aim to improve people’s mental well-being through memories and real-life stories.
Code of conduct
Ethical decision-making is foundational to us. Both within and outside our direct operations, we have a strict code of conduct. This includes our partners, with whom we share a commitment to human rights, environmental conservation, labor laws, ethical business operations and health standards, etc
Customer engagement
Our ongoing dialogue with customers guides our resource allocation, focusing on genuine value creation.
Employee engagement value system
Participation and transparency are pillars of our workplace culture. Employees have an active say in our strategic direction and have insight into the company's finances. Our actions reflect our core values: we care, we dare, we are free and fully responsible — values that are reflected in our compensation structures.
Printing partnership
Our belief is strong: collaboration drives positive change. We collaborate with printers all over the world, from Australia to the USA, as well as a few places in between. We believe that collaboration is key to creating a more sustainable printing industry and that's why we continuously collaborate with all our printing partners to find better sustainable solutions and new innovations together.
Business collaboration
Through the B Corp movement, we have discovered a collective of businesses working together to achieve greater transparency, accountability, and impact. Leading the charge for a new way of doing business that not only prioritizes profit but the well-being of everyone.
People
Celebrating the essence of Once Upon — our team, and the community we are part of.
Empowering stories
Our purpose: Once Upon wants to empower people’s well-being through memories and real-life stories, is the core of everything we do. Looking at photos of one's life and experiences can strengthen one's sense of self, helping people feel that they are “enough” and that their life is valuable just the way it is. We are continuously working to help more people discover how beneficial it can be to document the story of their lives.
Staff ownership
Every team member at Once Upon holds a stake in our story through employee options, a testament to our belief in sharing our success and ensuring that every employee is deeply invested in our journey.
Workers' rights & well-being
With our affiliation to trade unions, we underline our commitment to the rights and well-being of our staff. Furthermore, we are dedicated to the physical and mental health of our team, offering free therapy, encouraging physical activities during work hours, and upholding a flexible work environment that caters to individual needs.
Community collaboration
Outside our direct operations, our ethical engagements extend to suppliers and partners. Everyone we collaborate with adheres to our code of conduct, which not only ensures that our values permeate every facet of our business but also safeguards the well-being and working conditions of the employees at our partner companies.
Inclusivity & growth
Our eNPS scores are high, serving as a testament to our employees' trust and satisfaction. But the measure of eNPS also reminds us of the continuous journey ahead. We remain committed to nurturing a workspace where every voice matters and every individual feels valued.
Planet
Our conscious effort to care for and coexist harmoniously with our environment.
Sustainable goals
Our roadmap to a greener future includes a net-zero carbon footprint ambition, FSC-certified sourcing, proactive carbon compensation, and affiliation with SME Climate Hub.
Carbon milestones
We have clear targets to minimize our carbon intensity per book (base year 2022): 2026: Aim for a 35% reduction. 2030: Target a 50% cut-down. 2040: Reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable materials
Paper is our primary raw material. We offer FSC-certified paper (FSC-MIX) in our products across most markets, with ongoing efforts for complete global coverage. Our FSC-license number is FSC-N003984.
What is FSC?
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council and is an independent, international member organization that works for environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable use of the world’s forests, through its FSC certification system. Certified companies follow FSC’s rules (standards) for forestry and traceability. Those who follow the rules may label their products with the FSC brand. The FSC label allows consumers and companies to choose wood products that come from responsible forestry, which means forestry that takes people and the environment into account.
Energy conservation
Collaborative efforts with our printing facilities have yielded significant carbon footprint reductions. Our collective journey continues towards maximizing energy conservation and shifting to renewables.
Our printers
We have printers all over the world, from Australia to America and a few places in between. We believe that collaboration is key to creating a more sustainable printing industry and that's why we continuously collaborate with all our printing partners, to find better sustainable solutions and new innovations together.
