Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Bio-D secures coveted B Corporation Certification
Green cleaning company Bio-D has joined a select group of businesses in the UK to secure B Corporation (B Corp) status. Measuring a company's entire social and environmental impact, the certification cements Bio-D as a leader in the global movement for an inclusive, fair, and regenerative economy.
Only one third of businesses who apply for the accreditation are successful, and there are fewer than 1,000 companies in the UK that have reached the standards required for the certification.
Lloyd Atkin, managing director at Bio-D sas of the achievement: "I am incredibly proud of our team for all of their hard work behind the scenes that has led to us securing B Corp Certification.
"Bio-D was founded in 1989, and we've focused on sustainability from the very beginning. It's behind every decision we make - from the suppliers we use to how the factory is powered and the ingredients that go into the products we put on the shelves. Because of this, achieving B Corp status was a key objective for us and something we have strived to secure.
"We first applied back in 2019 and it has taken a huge amount of time and effort from the team to cross the finishing line. It has been a long journey, but we're overjoyed that we can now say that we're officially B Corp certified."
Securing a score of 80.2, Bio-D is pretty impressive: the median score for businesses that complete the assessment is currently 50.9.
The B Corp Certification recognises businesses that are meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on everything from employee benefits and charitable giving, to supply chain practices and input materials.
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, adds: "We are delighted to welcome Bio-D to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Bio-D is going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward."
To achieve the certification, companies must demonstrate high social and environmental performance, make a legal commitment by changing its corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, and exhibit transparency by allowing information about its performance to be publicly available on the B Corp website.
However, remaining true to its values, Bio-D will not be adding the B Corp logo to its packaging, due to the additional waste it would produce.
Lloyd continues: "Whilst we are over the moon that we can now call ourselves a B Corp certified business, adding the relevant information to our packaging would mean disposing of all of our existing prints, creating new packaging plates and reprinting labels for the full range, which doesn't reflect our ethos."
The announcement has quickly followed recent success at major manufacturing ceremony The National Manufacturing Awards, organised by Make UK.
Bio-D secured a national title at the awards after competing against regional winners across the country. The green cleaning company was recognised in the Energy and Sustainability category of the awards for the outstanding lengths the team goes to in order to reduce its carbon footprint, along with that of its customers.
Using its mission, vision, and values to shape a two-year sustainability strategy, Bio-D established key objectives across the business to further advance its environmental performance, doing all it could to enhance sustainability, improve recycling rates, and reduce the impact of the manufacturing process on the environment.
The strategy resulted in a substantial reduction in its use of plastic, a reduction in electricity usage, and an 85% reduction in carbon emissions from business travel.
Lloyd says: "Whilst we delivered our two-year strategy six months ahead of schedule, we will continue to re-assess and set new goals to further our efforts to be as sustainable as possible."
Based in Hull, East Yorkshire, from where it creates cleaning products that don't cost the earth, Bio-D manufactures environmentally responsible, ethically sound vegan products, using plant-based and naturally derived ingredients. All products are created in the UK, with traceability on all ingredients used to ensure they are ethically and sustainably sourced. Products are also endorsed by Cruelty Free International, The Vegan Society and Allergy UK.
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