There are so many sustainable labels out there today: USDA Organic, Certified B Corp, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Green Seal, and Cruelty Free. It gets overwhelming and it’s hard to sift through what is worth supporting and what is not. Fortunately for you, I enjoy nerding out on stuff like this, and, I’m guessing, if you’re reading this, you may enjoy going down that path as well. For those of us born and raised in first world countries, it is so easy to overlook the importance of supporting these brands. But, for me, there is always this gnawing at my soul, something telling me I can do better. I can be more conscious in my purchasing. I can slow down. I can stop and think before I click. And, maybe, just maybe, it could really make a difference…
What is a Certified B Corporation?
A Certified B Corporation IS a for-profit company. However, these companies balance their profits with how their business impacts customers, workers, communities, environment, and governance. They are not a single focus label. Cert B Corps pay an annual fee and agree to be evaluated every 3 years to ensure they are remaining compliant meaning you can trust that their claims about sustainability and ethics are real. These companies receive a score out of 200 points based on the B Impact Assessment. Cert B Corps must score at least an 80 to be certified. These companies agree to make their impact scores public which creates transparency for their customers.
How are Certified B Corporations evaluated?
Environment – Cert B Corps are environmentally evaluated on climate, water, energy use, facilities, carbon emissions, transportation impact, circularity, supply chain, waste reduction, and resource conservation.
People – Cert B Corps are worker evaluated on compensation, engagement, financial security, health, wellness, safety and career development. They are community evaluated on job creation, giving, supply chain management, justice, civic engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and economic impact. They are customer evaluated on security, value, feedback, data privacy, ethical marketing, and quality assurance.
Governance – Cert B Corps are governance evaluated on legally transitioning to stakeholder governance, adopting a public purpose, public reporting, financial transparency, ethics, and anti-corruption.
What are some well-known Certified B Corporations that you can support right now?
Clothing – Patagonia, TOMS, All Birds, Bombas, Veja, Athleta, Chloe, Cotopaxi, Sezane
Beauty – The Body Shop, Aveda, Amika, Necessaire, Josie Maran, Osea Malibu, Sunday Riley, Innersense
Drugstore – Weleda, SheaMoisture, Dr. Bronner’s, Babo Botanicals, Cortizone-10
Want more? You can search the Cert B Corp Global Directory to find verified companies worldwide.
Share your favorite Cert B Corps with our community.
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