COMPANIES committed to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability have met in Northamptonshire to discuss best practice and to share experiences.
All 11 certified B Corporation organisations based in the county were at the Brixworth headquarters of reusable nappy specialist Bambino Mio, the newest company in the county to receive official B Corp certification.
They discussed on how each is reinventing the way they do business by committing to purpose as well as profit. B Corp Certification reflects the entire way a business operates, covering the key areas of governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of above 80 and providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.
“Like our fellow Northamptonshire B Corps, we opened up every area of our business for scrutiny and a rigorous independent assessment to ensure we are committed to having the best positive impact on our people, our planet, and future generations,” said Bambino Mio’s founder Guy Schanschieff pictured left.
“We are delighted to join together and collaborate with fellow B Corp businesses. We want to be a powerful force for change and hope that our accountability to sustainability and our commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others.”
Sustainability has been at the root of Bambino Mio’s products for more than 25 years. It encourages parents to use reusable nappies so that fewer single-use nappies are produced and dumped in landfill.
Bambino Mio was certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement, as having met the highest social and environmental standards – its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit. The company achieved a score of 93.4 – average company score is 50 – and gained two Impact Business Models for delivering results for specific business stakeholders, one for resource conservation and another for toxin reduction.
Mr Schanschieff said: “I believe that all businesses should feel a responsibility to consider people and our planet rather than making decisions just based on profit. We believe that this fundamental component can have a lasting significance, for generations to come.”
Worldwide 6,279 businesses globally have certified as B Corps. In the UK there are more than 1,100 companies across a broad range of industries and sizes, including brands such as innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole.
“Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector,” said B Lab UK’s executive director Chris Turner. “Welcoming Bambino Mio is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the nappy industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Bambino Mio in paving the way for a new way of doing things.”
The group of 11 Northamptonshire based B Corp businesses are:
- Bambino Mio
- Fill Refill Co Zero waste, closed loop household refill company
- QSA partners Business consultancy
- Warners Distillery Craft gin distillery
- The People Experience Hub Tech lead employee engagement survey platform
- People & Transformational HR Consultancy
- Honeywell Bakes Artisan bakery
- Averil Phillips & Family Funeral Directors
- Jelley Distilleries Distillery
- Akerlof Construction consultancy
- New England Financial Solutions Insurance company
“The UK B Corp community is one of the fastest growing in the world and represents a passionate group of people using business as a force for good,” said B Lab UK’s communications and marketing director Rosalind Holley. “Yet historically much of this growth has been concentrated around London and the south east. There are amazing businesses going beyond in all corners of the UK.”