For a company to achieve B Corporation (B Corp) Certification, it must meet the highest verified social and environmental standards, representing a commitment to goals beyond shareholder profit. Here, three B Corp childrenswear businesses tell us about the process and why they all advocate becoming part of the B Corp movement.
MINI A TURE
“MINI A TURE (pictured above) became a certified B Corp in 2021, making us one of the first children’s clothing brands in the world to achieve this certification. The B Corp Certification is an important reflection of our dedication to sustainable and responsible business practices, which are at the heart of everything we do. As a B Corp, we are proud to demonstrate our commitment to transparency, accountability, and overall positive impact on society and the environment. For us, it is no longer just a matter of generating profit, but rather making a positive difference in the world. We believe that doing business is about more than just generating profit. We feel strongly responsible for future generations to take care of the planet and ensure that we are working in harmony with nature. We have always been committed to ethical and sustainable practices in our manufacturing and sourcing, and becoming a B Corp was a natural step for us in terms of demonstrating our commitment to transparency and accountability. By working exclusively with certified suppliers and factories, we can be confident that our clothes are produced in an eco-friendly way, using the latest technologies, and with good working conditions for everyone involved in the process. The key reason, and what inspired us to become B Corp Certified, is to show transparency to our end consumers with regard to the way we do business.
Becoming a certified B Corp involves a 360-degree evaluation of a company’s impact on society and the environment. To our advantage, we were already GOTS certified, so we were familiar with the certification process. We approached the application with great dedication and worked persistently to complete all the necessary procedures and details as quickly as possible. After our part was done, we had to wait for the review process to be completed. We are proud to say that we were able to achieve B Corp Certification in just under a year, which is a testament to our commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.
Becoming a certified B Corp has been a hugely inspiring and transformative experience for us. While we continue to work in the same way as we always have, we are proud to be part of a larger community of businesses across industries that are dedicated to doing good in the world. We are committed to inspiring others to join us on this journey, and to showcasing the importance of circular, responsible business practices. We believe that by doing so, we can help create a better world for all of us and for future generations to come.
We highly recommend the certification process to any business looking to take its commitment to circularity and social responsibility to the next level. Through the process, you’ll have the opportunity to identify areas where you can improve and implement best practices for the benefit of your employees, community and the planet. It’s a great way to showcase your commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices.”
MUDDY PUDDLES
“Muddy Puddles became B Corp Certified in October 2022. The accountability of the B Corp Certification and the complexity of the B Impact Assessment felt like the right way to validate our progress over the last six years, as well as inspire constant improvement and enable us to set goals for the future. It has focused our minds not only on sustainability, which is something we had been placing at the front of our decision-making for a number of years, but also on our people and how best we look after both the Muddy Puddles team and our supply chain. We’ve also rebranded to better communicate our core values to our customers.
Application is a straightforward process of filling in the impact assessment and gathering together the evidence and necessary paperwork to support your answers. It took us just over two years in total, taking into account Covid and a backlog of applications at B Corp. For any business considering applying, I would recommend taking a close look at the impact assessment to decide whether it fits your business and what, if any changes, you may need to make, and then go for it. There is no time limit on completing the impact assessment and the team at B Corp are very supportive once you ‘hit submit’ and reach the review stage. It was a very positive experience for us, and we believe the more businesses that join the movement the better the world will be for everyone.”
JOJO MAMAN BÉBÉ
“Jojo Maman Bébé became B Corp Certified in 2016, cementing a long-standing ethos of running our business as a force for good. Since launching in 1993, this had always been a priority for us, and as we celebrate our 30th anniversary we are proud of what we stand for. From the very beginning, JoJo’s ethos has centred around putting people and the planet before profit. We pride ourselves on creating timeless, high-quality clothes for children that are made to be shared and we have always valued our own people and those we work with around the world. We have championed forward-thinking environmental practices from day one, from re-using existing shop fit in our stores to offering recycled fleece 20 years ago. B Corp fitted so naturally with the work we were already doing and resonated with the leadership, as it also recognises businesses need to be viable and profitable to be a force for good.
Part of the application process was proving that our business meets the standards demanded in five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It was key to us when going through the B Corp application process to realise there is not one person or team that is responsible for this – it’s something that must be shared and advocated across various departments. We needed to convene a group of people from across the business to be able to submit our application and demonstrate the work we do across the entire company. The application took us about six months, and the B Corp team guided us through the process culminating in our eventual certification. As well as us being able to show the world how we align with B Corp’s values, this process is important for us internally to keep checking in and challenging ourselves. B Corp gives us central pillars that we reflect on each time we start a new project to ensure that we’re aligning with B Corp and driving the success we want to see. Putting people and the planet alongside being a profitable company has always been important to JoJo, and being a B Corp allows us to further demonstrate that to our stakeholders. It means a huge amount to the team, many of whom are looking to work for better businesses. Customers don’t realise that JoJo has been a B Corp since 2016 – we were the first fashion business in the UK to certify – so over the intervening seven years we’ve been able to see how the industry and B Corp have changed and adapted as sustainability and ethical issues reach the forefront of our customers’ minds. The key is that it is about continual improvement, each year we aim to move forwards with what we achieve.
If you’re considering applying, make sure you involve a real cross-section of people from your business. B Corp is about your entire business, not just your sustainability department or senior leadership, although the principles must be embedded from the top down. Gather your data and evidence periodically. While the B Corp assessment only comes around every three years, gathering and assessing consistent data is key. Finally, make sure your business and stakeholders (internal and external) really understand what it means to be a B Corp. How can you communicate this to your teams? How can they help you drive success in this submission?”
For further information on B Corp Certification, please click here.
