What is B Corp and why did you become certified?Updated 10 months ago
As a design company that makes consumer goods, there is an impact associated with our sourcing of coffee husk, offshore manufacturing and global shipping to name but a few. To offer sustainable alternatives to single-use and reduce waste but pay no attention to the process by which goods arrive to market, would undo any environmental gains.
Our purpose also extends to a commitment to our employees and customers. To be a fair and equitable employer that is accountable to all our stakeholders including every wholesaler, cafe partner and coffee drinker who chooses Huskee products and services to run a more impactful business and lead a more sustainable life.
The vigorous certification process has five assessment areas which help businesses measure their impact in a holistic way and help benchmark best practice. It includes Community, Environment, Workers, Governance and Customers and is an ongoing and transparent process, requiring verification every three years.
This process helped us not only ask deeper questions but questions we hadn’t considered. Rather than focusing on big wins in one area, the impact score is made up of lots of little things. In fact, the B Impact Assessment which assesses businesses aims to recognise those companies as B Corporations that create a positive impact in multiple impact areas.
For us, it included the use of green energy, minimal and responsible packaging, employee policies and enforcing offshore manufacturer compliance and working conditions. This helped us transition from shareholder priority to stakeholder priority and has been enshrined into our constitution.
Our B Corp rating is readily available here and provides us with a roadmap for improvement. Our journey has only just begun and through B Corp we will continue to learn, grow and be a business that is a force for good.