5 minute read
As part of B Corp™ month, dryrobe’s Sustainability Manager Tas Chilcott joined our friends at Water Skills Academy and dewerstone to discuss what it means to be a B Corporation and how we can all make an environmental difference.
Tas shares some of the actions that came out of the discussion and how we can all implement them in both our own lives and at work.
Currently, there are 1,100 B Corp™ members in the UK and 6,400 worldwide. B Corp’s are businesses that have gone through a rigorous screening process to become independently certified.
The approach focuses on the connections of the business such as the people, communities and of course, the planet. B Corp™ status helps customers or potential customers choose to support a business that is committed to doing business for good.
The webinar held on 9th March 2023 aimed to help individuals and businesses understand how they can make an environmental difference and to explain exactly what a B Corp™ is, with examples from The Water Skills Academy, dewerstone and dryrobe®.
The webinar gained huge engagement with participation from viewers in polls and comments - thank you to those who took part. One question the webinar kicked off with was to gauge whether people actually know what a B Corp™ is, with 22% unsure, of which hopefully together we turned around!
As part of the discussion, one of the topics covered was ethical investments, including topics such as banking and pensions with organisations that don’t invest in fossil fuels, ensuring your money is funding projects such as renewable energy projects, or investing in affordable housing.
During the discussion of this topic, viewers were asked if their banks were B Corp™ certified, a clear way to understand whether your bank is doing business for good!
22% said their banks were B Corp™ certified, 33% said no and 45% are unsure if their banks are B Corp’s. Check out to see where your bank stands using Bank Green and Make Your Money Matter to ethical and sustainable pensions.
Here are some good and bad banking examples from Bank Green:
Renewable energy
Another example of how to vote with your wallet is to support the change you want to see! By choosing renewable energy, you are supporting the growth of the renewables sector, providing each of us with fossil-fuel-free energy.
67% of people asked in the webinar are still using energy generated from the burning of fossil fuels. A simple way you can check out what your energy provider is supplying you with is by online searching for your energy provider and ‘fuel mix disclosure’, where you can check the make up of your tariff.
Here’s an example of dryrobe’s energy tariff with Opus:
Journeys
The way we move, and the way the things we buy move, result in Greenhouse Gas emissions being released into the atmosphere. At dryrobe®, we have measured the travel footprint of our products and offset these emissions to become carbon neutral. In the future, we will set targets to reduce the emissions of how our products and people travel.
Meanwhile, there are options we can all take to be responsible for the choices we make. Such as bulking deliveries together to reduce delivery journeys, using public transport to get to events, lift sharing to the beach, selecting the ‘greener option’ on Skyscanner when booking holidays, and finally, reducing the amount you return - for example making sure your dryrobe® fits by using our guides will help reduce our carbon footprint.
Community
Each of us can help the community, whether it is right on our doorstep, or in a different country. Your time counts towards helping projects or people who need a helping hand. Incredibly, over half of the webinar viewers already take part in volunteer projects!
Helping a charity could be in the form of financial donations or in the form of donating time. dryrobe® donates a large proportion to charities and projects every year. The aim of our Warmth Project is to support projects to help people access the outdoors, and the sea. To enjoy the benefits and to protect what we love!
dryrobe® employees can take 2 days from work each year, to volunteer for any project of their choice. Whether it is something close to their heart, or something they’d like to learn more about, the option is theirs to make. An example of how individuals can make a difference is through the ‘2 minute foundation’. The fantastic organisation really makes the most of individuals making a difference through volunteering their time, and cleaning up whenever and wherever they are and inspiring others to do the same.
Being a B Corp™ is so much more than a logo.
It’s a movement of businesses who want to make their mark on the world, and a symbol of truthful commitment to take meaningful action and transform the economic system. And behind every business, there’s a passionate team of people who believe that, when we go beyond business as usual, we can create an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. Without those people, this community wouldn’t exist. To achieve success, the B Corp™ movement needs us to ALL go beyond. Keep supporting B Corps, to help continue building a better world for now and the future.
Find out more about B Corp™
bcorporation.net
Published on March 30, 2023