UMBRA Wallpaper - Verde

Our wallpaper is printed to order at a pioneering factory in the heart of the Swedish countryside. Borås Tapetfabrik source paper that is crafted using wood fibre from young trees, not Ancient ones, grown purposefully in a forest managed to the Forest Stewardship Council’s standards in Northern Europe.

Their creations are PVC-free and printed in small, made to order batches to avoid unnecessary waste using water based inks. Borås Tapetfabrik have spent more than a century learning, growing and becoming a forerunner in innovation and craftsmanship.

“We have been manufacturing wallpaper in Borås for over 100 years. Focusing on craftsmanship, quality and sustainability, we provide the world with first-class wallpaper” - Borås Tapetfabrik. Read more about our factories here.

We know how much we pay our factories to bring our designs to life does not include the extractive impact production has on Nature, including human wellbeing. 

To understand the amount we should pay for our products, including the social and environmental expense, we engaged the organisation True Price to help us measure it. 

Starting with our two biggest product categories, fabric and wallpaper, we gathered impact data and applied the True Cost methodology. This helped us to quantify the price we should pay for our products, taking their impact into account. 

Our first True Cost analysis results showed that for every square metre of wallpaper, we should be paying 0.19GBP/0.25USD extra to make up for the social and environmental impact creating it.

We will use these results to help highlight our impact hotspots and set targets for future product improvements, with the aim of reducing our “true cost”. Read more here.

As a business rooted in the beauty of the natural world, we believe it's imperative we hold ourselves to account for our impact on Nature and the quality of life we leave behind for the generations to come. 

In 2023, we gave Mother Nature and Future Generations legal personhood on our board, as a director. This means a person, independent of our business, ensures that in every decision made across all departments, our impact on Nature (including human wellbeing) is considered. They actively challenge our work and progress to becoming a Nature-centred business. Read more about how the director works here.

In 2023, thanks to our wonderful customers, we protected over 320 acres of threatened habitats and their wildlife through our partnership with World Land Trust, compensating for more trees than we used in our annual wallpaper production (approx. 115 trees, 1000 - 1500 sq meter).

In total, 513 acres of threatened habitats and their wildlife have come under protection since the start of our partnership. With a donation of 87 pence for every metre of fabric, roll of wallpaper and individual item sold, 35 square metres of threatened habitats can be purchased and protected by World Land Trust and their network of local partners through their ‘Buy An Acre’ initiative. 

Read more about the impact of World Land Trust’s pioneering land purchase fundraising here.