The B Corp movement is changing the rules of the business game as we know it.

It brings together a dedicated community who are proactively improving business standards to ensure an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. By addressing society's current capitalist issues and challenges, it’s shifting the focus of our current economic system in favour of a more mindful and sustainably considerate way of doing business.

B Corp explained

The B Corp Movement is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. 8,284 companies across 96 countries and 162 industries are now part of the B Corp community, and we’re proud to be one of them.

It’s a non-profit network that supports companies and organisations that want to ensure positive environmental and social change.

To become certified as a B Corp™, businesses are required to go through a rigorous certification process. A company’s entire social and environmental impact is measured through B Lab, which creates standards, policies, tools, and programs for B Corp businesses need to reach to achieve their certification.

Applicants are required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to:

• Energy supplies
• Waste
• Water use
• Worker compensation
• Diversity
• Corporate transparency

We were incredibly proud that our business practices are recognised for promoting positive environmental and social change with a strong score of 110 points in our B Impact Assessment™ the first time around.

This certification means we meet the high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. You can find more about our B Corp journey here.

Why be a B Corp

Without nature, there wouldn’t be a playground for everyone to enjoy. We love spending our time outdoors and believe this should be accessible for everyone. Protecting it now and forever so future generations can enjoy the benefits of getting outside is fundamental to us because we want to look after what inspired us to create a product that helps us to embrace nature in all conditions.

It’s all about the journey

However, B Corp Certification isn’t a destination. It’s an invitation to join the journey
to better business. It is an ongoing process that encourages and requires improvement, even after initial certification.

Becoming a Certified B Corp™ is a huge milestone on our sustainability journey. However, we are not done yet and as a business, we have a responsibility to continue to help transform the economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. We’re committed to continuing what we’re doing and more, to raise the bar each year and ensure new regulations and practices are achieved to recertify every three years. 

This Way Forward

This year, the B Corp theme is This Way Forward, which celebrates how and why businesses, and the wider B Corp community, are moving forward together.

With business changes and demands, there are always new sustainability challenges and we’re adapting all the time.

We don’t do this alone and bring customers, ambassadors, partners, warmth projects, and external companies to support us along the ride!

Built to last

Too often, short-term gains are prioritised over long-term value. Focusing on longevity is something we feel strongly about, not only in the quality of our products but also in how we consider the environment in their creation.

Since dryrobe® was founded, every product that we’ve produced has been built to last for years and years.

Overconsumption is placing a huge amount of pressure on our planet’s resources and we want to encourage our customers not to buy more than they need.

Approved and certified practices

Certified B Corporations meet high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

At present, these are the certifications we’re proud to include in our manufacturing journey, from the environment where our products are created to how they are packaged:

• All of our supplier factories maintain SMETA approval or are BSCI audited.
• The packaging for our products is now made out of FSC-certified and recycled cardboard.
• All our dryrobe® Advance changing robes and accessories are made with 100% recycled nylon, approved by Global Recycle Standard.
• Our unique fleece lining is made from 100% recycled polyester, approved by the Global Recycle Standard and certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
• We only use 100% organic cotton for our Towel dryrobe® range, certified by The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
• We use PFC-free BIONIC-FINISH ECO Durable Water-Repellent (DWR) finishing on our core products for waterproofing.
• 20% of the sole of our dryrobe® Thermal boots is made from algae-based Bloom Rise™⁠. As the fastest growing plant on Earth, using algae helps to save the build-up of the waste material ending up in landfills by planting it into our products instead as well as reducing the amount of virgin EVA material used.

Find out the full benefits of these certifications here.

The dryrobe® warmth project

The dryrobe® Warmth Project is we’re proud to support charities and non-profit organisations that share our values of promoting wellbeing through outdoor activity and protecting the environment.

Throughout the month, we will be sharing how we work with a couple of organisations that help restore and protect nature on the UK coastline and support blue carbon storage so make sure to keep an eye out!

Find out more about some of the incredible charities we support and how we work with them here.

Being B Corp conscious

A proactive you can do as a consumer this month, and in the future, is to pay extra attention when you are purchasing anything and look out for the B Corp logo. This logo shows, that you are supporting a business who are taking steps to support workers fairly, whose actions help and support their community, and who is working to consistently be better for the environment, inclusivity, diversity, and fairness.

What to expect this month

We’ll be embracing B Corp’s This Way Forward campaign all month, and sharing updates on our social channels. Stay tuned for volunteer projects from our Team at dryrobe® HQ and an exciting social collab with a fellow B Corp.

To champion the success of B Corps in Devon, this month the Devon B Local Co-Chairs, which includes our Sustainability Manager, have arranged a couple of events in Devon, UK. On the 21st March, one in the North and one in the South coast so everyone can join! Keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more details.

Explore more about the B Corp movement by visiting bcorporation.net

Stay up to date with B Corp month by following:

Instagram: @bcorporation
Facebook: B Lab
X: @BCorporation
YouTube: @BCorporation
LinkedIn: B Lab

#dryrobeterritory

Published on March 01, 2024