In case you haven’t heard, Modern Milkman is now a Certified B Corporation™! And yes, if you were in our office or Zoom calls, you would have seen our team do a happy dance when we found out. It’s been a year and a half in the making, but we finally get to celebrate being part of the B Corp™ community! But before we get ahead of ourselves, we’ll go through all you need to know about B Corp™, so that by the end, you’ll be able to do a little happy dance with us.
What does it mean when a company is B Corp™?
Unlike a standard C corporation, a B Corp™ is part of a global movement of businesses who meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Basically, we’re a part of a movement using our business as a force for good™.
B stands for ‘Benefit for All’
Being a B Corp™ means looking beyond our own business and looking at ways we can change our economic system to positively impact all stakeholders:
- – Workers
- – Communities
- – Customers
- – And our planet
It’s why the ‘B’ in B Corp™ stands for ‘Benefit for All’, because we’re committed to helping the world and everyone in it.
So why did we become a B Corp™?
We wanted to do more than just say we were helping the planet. We wanted proof, and a way to show others that we’re committed to the cause. By becoming a B Corp™ our community knows that we’re serious when we talk about reducing plastic, helping our community, and making sure we positively impact our stakeholders.
Our B Corp™ Journey
Becoming a B Corp™ isn’t a walk in the park. It’s more like a year and a half long marathon. For over a year, we worked with B Lab™, the non-profit network behind B Corp™, to prove our positive impact in five impact areas:
- 1. Governance – how our mission and vision create a purpose-driven business
- 2. Workers – how we take care of our team, and improve their lives and wellbeing
- 3. Community – how Modern Milkman is giving back and contributing positively to our community
- 4. Environment – how Modern Milkman is prioritising and taking care of the planet
- 5. Customers – how Modern Milkman has a positive impact on our customers
Each area is then scored. To become a B Corp™, a business needs at least 80 points. Most businesses that apply get a 50.9. Now, what did Modern Milkman score? We’re glad you asked. Drumroll please…
We scored 94.1!
Basically, we smashed it.
Take a look at our score breakdown below!
Why are we sharing the entire breakdown of our report, you ask? Well, being a B Corp™ means giving full transparency, as well as continuously improving. So, by sharing our scores, we’re able to show exactly where we are at, and what we need to work on!
Why would you use a B Corp™ brand?
When you choose a B Corp™ brand, you’re doing more than just picking a good product. You’re picking a business that takes care of everyone their brand touches, from their workers to their suppliers and customers. You’re picking a brand that’s sustainable and takes great care to help the planet however they can.
A B Corp™ uses business as a Force for Good™. And they have the certification to prove it.
Did you know, any company can say they’re sustainable, without giving any proof?
This is, of course, called greenwashing, and while companies receive backlash for their unsustainable efforts, the use of the world ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ is unregulated. So, any company can use those words, but that doesn’t mean that they are. B Corporations™, however, are closely inspected and held to very high environmental standards, so when you see a B Corp™ logo, you know there’s no greenwashing there.
We’re in good company
Did you know we’re one of 1,100+ B Corp™ businesses in the UK? We’re joining the likes of Mindful Chef, The Body Shop, and Patagonia. We even stock some fellow B Corps™ on our milkround, so make sure to check out:
- – Flawsome’s delicious juices
- – Clipper Tea’s warming brews
- – Seep’s home compostable sponges
- – Rubies in the Rubble’s classic chutney
- – Homething’s miraculous cleaning tablets
- – Who Gives a Crap’s soft household paper
We’re just getting started
Just because we’re a B Corp™, doesn’t mean we’re finished. In fact, we’re just getting started! Each B Corp™ gets re-audited every three years to see how they’ve improved, and if they’ve kept up with B Corp™ qualifications. If you haven’t measured up, your B Corp™ status gets revoked.
We’ve outlined our future goals in our current Impact Report but be sure to check back to see how we’re measuring up! We’re excited about our B Corp™ journey and can’t wait to see what we accomplish before the next audit.
And lastly, thank you for helping us out on our journey. For those on our milkround, it’s your passion for helping the planet that has helped us get to where we are today, and if we had an Oscar right now, we’d dedicate it to you! For those that are thinking about joining, we can’t wait for you to come along for the ride.
