What is a business? What does and should it do? Is making profits all that matters?
According to the principles of the B Corporation Movement, business should be a force for good. And in this time of climate crisis and rapid change, this idea has never been more important.
B (‘Benefit’) Corporations adhere to high standards when it comes to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. They also measure success by the positive impact they cause. In this way, they are going beyond the current model of ‘business as usual’ by taking action to proactively change the status quo.
B Corp Month is an annual, month-long event that promotes the values of the B Corp Community. And, this year, the celebrations are based around the theme of ‘We Go Beyond’. This will invite people to understand how and why B Corporations go beyond expectations to pursue a more impactful path.
As one of the first certified B Corporations in the UK, Springwise is proud to support this campaign. Every day we spot the latest innovations that matter, developed by a whole range of different organisations from startups and non-profits to large corporations and established universities. But a significant proportion of the innovations in our library come from environmentally focused B Corporations who are living their commitment to positive impact through the products and services they produce.
Here are some of the best.
Embarking on its B Corp journey in February 2021, Wild Cosmetics was first featured on Springwise early last year. Since then, many UK consumers will have become familiar with the brand from both billboards and supermarket shelves. And the vegan, refillable deodorant is also available in Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Norway. The company’s flexible subscription service allows users to receive personalised, mix-and-match refills of vegan deodorant. With their first package, subscribers receive a lightweight case made largely from aluminium with a small number of recycled plastic parts. They then receive scent refills with their subsequent deliveries. These refills come in a bamboo pot that can be composted at home or recycled with other papers. Switching to this model helps to save a lot of plastic. In fact, according to the company’s latest B Corp impact assessment, its community of 1 million users has saved up to 150 tonnes of plastic from entering landfill. Most recently, the company announced the addition of a new camomile tea and French lavender scent to its range. Read more
Another B Corp providing sustainable packaging refills – this time for medicine – is Cabinet Health. The company has developed the world’s first refillable and decomposable medicine system, under which pharmacy HealthHavenRX refills prescriptions using Cabinet Health products – which include refillable bottles and biodegradable pouches. In addition to prescriptions, Cabinet Health’s packaging is also used for over-the-counter medicines, such as those for hay fever relief, pain relief, cold and flu treatment, and digestive health. According to the company, by switching to its refillable system, customers can eliminate up to one pound of plastic annually and hundreds of pounds of plastic over the course of a lifetime. Read more
All kinds of businesses can become a B Corp, and in late 2021, Springwise spotted Leaf & Limb, the first-ever tree service company to achieve B Corp certification. This longstanding family business employs a unique approach. In the tree service industry, a significant proportion of revenues comes from cutting down trees. For example, until 2019 – when the company shifted its approach – half of Leaf & Limb’s revenue came from tree felling. Today, however, the company only cuts down diseased trees – and only when completely necessary. Instead, it focuses on caring for existing trees by providing pruning services, improving the soil through practices such as adding wood chips and leaf compost, and avoiding harmful practices such as the use of herbicides and mulch volcanoes. Furthermore, it plants new trees and shrubs with a focus on choosing the right native species for a given location. Read more
First spotted by Springwise in 2020, Oxwash became a certified B Corporation last year. The company has developed a comprehensive system for improving the sustainability of commercial laundry. Oxwash’s solution revolves around the use of ‘wet’ cleaning, which replaces the harsh solvents used in dry cleaning with biodegradable detergents. The startup also uses ‘ozone technology’ to deodorise and sanitise clothes at lower temperatures than those used in traditional commercial laundry processes – a method also used in hospital sterilisation and during space missions. To improve sustainability further, electric vans and e-bikes are used to pick up and deliver orders, with robots assisting with ironing and folding at scale. Read more
Meeting the stringent criteria for becoming a B Corporation is not easy and takes time. One company currently undertaking this process is Dayrize, a climate tech startup that has developed a platform to rapidly and cost-effectively evaluate the environmental impact of consumer products. Dayrize’s Sustainability Assessment Tool uses geospatial analytics, datasets, and a complex algorithm to collect and cross-reference information for individual products and calculate a score out of 100, called the Dayrize Score. This allows consumers to easily understand and compare the sustainability of products as they shop. Read more
Please note: Dayrize is a Pending B Corp and is working towards full certification.
Written By: Matthew Hempstead
For more innovations, head to the Springwise Innovation Library.