SJÖSTRAND AND SUSTAINABILITY – A MINI INTERVIEW

3 October 2018

In a mini-interview with Sjöstrand’s founders Jenny Svensson and Niklas Gustavsson, we talk about sustainability and Sjöstrand’s collaboration with Vi-skogen, a project to offset carbon emissions by planting trees.

Sjöstrand’s basic idea is based on sustainability. Tell me more!

We want to influence consumption; in our case it is about offering environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives for an existing concept that is well established in the market. When we founded Sjöstrand Coffe Concept, we focused on developing a design that could fit into as many environments as possible, in order to achieve sustainability. At the same time as every day we focus on improving the quality of everything we do. Together, design and quality will minimize a wear and tear mentality and offer products with as long a life as possible.

Coffee and our coffee capsules are a consumer product and by far the most sustainable solution for the environment is composting.  We must, as far as possible, strive for the return of what comes out of the earth to earth. The capsule is produced with energy from solar, wind, water and biogas, we carbon compensate for parts of our transports, our coffee is 100% organically grown and our capsule is made of bark and other plant fiberand is therefore compostable.

SJÖSTRAND HAS COMPENSATED FOR PARTS OF ITS TRANSPORT TOGETHER WITH VI-SKOGEN SINCE 2016. WHAT DOES YOUR COOPERATION MEAN?

We forest offers companies a very effective way to carbon offset their carbon footprint, through certified carbon dioxide storage in trees and agricultural land. This means that companies can calculate their CARBON emissions, especially through their transports. To then invest in tree planting through the Vi forest, when trees bind carbon dioxide, to an equal or greater extent in order to carbon compensate for their emissions.

WHY DID YOUR CHOICE FALL ON WORKING WITH THE VI FOREST?

We-forest makes a difference for those most affected by climate change. The organization works in four countries around Lake Victoria in East Africa: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. Carbon offsetting together with the Vi forest brings many benefits – it combats poverty when tree planting creates jobs and it improves the environment when trees and agricultural land bind carbon dioxide and thus reduce our climate impact.

The people most affected by climate change can, thanks to our support and the work of the Vi forest, increase their harvests and adapt to a changing climate.

WHAT DOES SJÖSTRAND’S SUSTAINABILITY WORK LOOK LIKE IN OTHER RESPECTS?

We try to avoid printed material as far as possible by working electronically. On the printed material that we must use, for example, our cartons, we are looking for the best and environmentally friendly alternatives possible. For example, FSC-marked or recycled. We travel public transport to work and attend trade fairs such as Matology to spread our messages.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE?

We were one of the first companies with products in the capsule coffee segment that focused on sustainability and the environment with the goal of achieving as little impact on the environment as possible. We had a grand vision of changing an entire coffee segment. We have come a little bit along the way and today there are several good and sustainable options on the market, but not the largest. There are fantastic challenges now and in the future regarding the environment and sustainability and we hope to be able to influence in a positive direction for a long time to come. No one is too small to contribute and it is together that we can make a difference!

TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE!