This Way Forward - Celebrating B Corp Month

At Aspiga, we are proud of where our story began and where we are now. By shopping with us, you are investing in ethical and sustainable fashion that is made to the highest quality and designed to last.

Sustainability has been written into our DNA from day one and we were delighted to achieve B Corporation status in 2022, being one of the first UK fashion brands to have been awarded this status, with a high score of 98.9. The certification is a natural step forward for us as a brand, and we are incredibly proud to be part of a global community of like minded businesses.

To celebrate the start of B Corp month, we spoke with some inspirational company leaders about the importance of being part of the B Corp movement. From beauty and lingerie to toxin free paint and sustainable supplements, these B Corp companies are committed to making a difference to both People and Planet.

 

"B Corp is setting the bar for the role of business in society. This is not just a ‘nice to have’ but now, it is a human imperative. Business is part of an eco-system – we take resources from the earth to make our product or enable our services and for humans to be here next century we need to give back in equal measure. Economic returns on their own do not measure if we are doing this, but B Corp is helping us account for our impact so that in the (near, I hope) future business can show how it has a neutral or beneficial impact on society and our planetary home. As they say ’if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it’.

There are 2000 B Corp companies in the UK – but this is still less than .035% of all our companies, so it’s time to raise our game and let B Corp show the way!’

In an increasingly polarised world, if you are not seen as mainstream, you seem extreme. We do business ‘not as usual’ and so to be recognised by a benchmark that states that business needs to up its game is really heartening. B Corp was set up in the US to encourage every business to ‘Be a Better Corporation’.

It is now a globally recognised certification, but as yet only a minority of companies meet its criteria. We should mind this because all B Corp requires is that a business is a benefit to society by avoiding as many negative impacts as possible and by aiming to create positive ones! Profit yes, but only when it works for people and the planet."

 

"When we achieved our B Corp certification in 2021, it wasn't just a moment to pause but a signal of our ongoing dedication to being accountable for our impact on people and the planet. We recognise that B Corp status is not an end goal but rather a transformative way of thinking about and conducting our business. We hope to inspire other organisations not just in the Health and Wellness industry, but in all sectors to follow suit. From the outset, we've been on a mission to revolutionise the wellness market with our sustainability initiatives."

Every day, we strive to enhance our production processes, products, and delivery methods to prioritise sustainability. Our practices include using FSC-certified packaging, recyclable pouches, and meticulously sourcing ingredients to meet various organic, vegan, and MSC certifications. Additionally, we actively engage in initiatives such as 1% for the Planet, Climate Neutral, ESG Mark, Land Trust Foundation, Rainforest Concern, and have recently partnered with the charity Love Mercy."

Yet, we understand that our journey doesn't end here. As the landscape of environmental impact continues to evolve, we will persist in pushing forward, learning, and growing along the way."

 

 "Being a B Corp keeps Nudea focused on driving bigger goals beyond just their day-to-day business. It comes with this idea of continuous improvement, and gives a sense of purpose and responsibility to the team. It inspires the businesses and even investors that Nudea work with to be better and improve their ways of working and move forward in a better way. Nudea are proud to be running a business with a purpose that goes beyond making a profit. 

As a category that is fundamentally designed to be worn to death, with limited options for resale, rent or donation we feel that it’s our responsibility to be part of the change and lead a better way for our category. Doing business that is better for the planet and people is fundamentally engrained in all we do, Nudea is leading by example. We educate our customers to buy less but buy better. Buying better means starting with proper fit. Our fitting tools help our customers find the perfect fit first time to reduce wastage and unnecessary emissions.We also offer a wash bag with every purchase and detailed care instructions to prolong garment life.

There is much work to do and we have only just begun, we have started by using more responsible materials, reducing our use of plastic, locally sourcing our componentry to the assembly factory, monitoring our carbon emissions and recycling our customers’ bras. This only scratches the surface of the 19 million bras that end up in landfill or the emissions created by the industry. For lingerie brands - we can see more and more other brands are switching to recycled fabrics but this is only part of the solution, managing end if life is just as if not more important. We need to continue working with our manufacturers, customers and operators to create systemic change that is bigger than just one brand, all brands need to do their part. It is the only way as an industry we can make a real change to move forward."

 

"I've always believed that business can be a force for good and the B Corp is an amazing company structure where businesses commit to think about the wider community impact of what they do, the environmental impact, impact on suppliers, workers and the community. We've always thought about those things at Evolve Organic Beauty and it's really fantastic to have the B corporation independent certification, I am really proud that we've achieved it."

"From the ingredients we source, the packaging we use, the waste that we create and our own wonderful team, we understand that what we do has an impact. We know how broad our impact is, so we want to make it as efficient and as green as possible. I am also on the B beauty coalition supervisory board and I am very excited to see how we can drive the industry forward."

Thank you for being part of the progress!