Left to right: Elvis & Kresse, Stand4Socks, Cafedirect
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Can your shopping change the world?
Consumers increasingly want their money to make a positive impact, so it’s time for businesses to step up to the plate, ethical companies have declared.
“Businesses need to behave like responsible, moral beings and governments need to regulate,” said Kresse Wesling, founder of Elvis & Kresse. E+K design and sell accessories made from rescued materials.
“We live in a system where it is perfectly legal for a business to be exploitative and extractive, as long as it is great for their shareholders. This system is killing us.”
Eight in 10 shoppers are more likely to support brands that “reflect their beliefs”, a survey commissioned by Big Issue revealed last month. But as demand surges, dodgy companies are getting very good at greenwashing.
The B Corp certification system is one way of fighting back against untrustworthy sustainability claims. To gain B Corp accreditation – independently provided by non-profit B Lab – a business must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. There are more than 1,500 in the UK – and the number is growing.
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Here, three B Corp suppliers featured in the Big Issue shop tell us what the certification means to them.
Stand4 Socks is making a difference, one pair of socks at a time
Homeless shelters rarely receive donations of socks – but they are sorely needed.
Enter Stand4Socks. Since the company’s 2015 launch, they have donated more than half a million thick, antibacterial socks to homeless people – a pair for every single set of socks they have sold.
“Nothing will cause a faster change than consumer spend, supporting businesses changing the world for the better than not. Simple,” says founder Josh Turner.
The B Corp certification helps customers cut through “greenwashing noise.”
“[B Corp certification] matters because socks is a very competitive landscape, plenty of poorly made socks, or false virtue signalling. We need a mark that not only helps us stand out, but also gives consumers confidence in the business they are supporting,” he said.
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Cafedirect helps coffee farmers make a fair living
Cafédirect is the UK’s leading social enterprise coffee roaster, established to ensure that “drinking coffee today doesn’t destroy our chances of drinking coffee tomorrow.”
Currently, 80% of coffee farmers struggle to meet their basic needs. Cafedirect works in partnership with farmer cooperatives, selling coffee on their behalf and raising more than £30m over 30 years.
“We all want a healthier planet and fairer future to look forward to. And business has a huge influence on whether we can make this happen,” said founder John Steel. “We need to demand better from the companies that we buy from – and as consumers we have a choice.”
Steel encourages consumers to be suspicious of claims of ‘carbon neutrality’ or ‘net zero’, which may be based on questionable carbon credits schemes.
B Corp certification is “not an end point,” Steel said – ethical business is a continuing process.
“You always have to strive to do better. Every year is a chance for us to look at ourselves and think how we can improve,” he explained. “We’re currently score ‘Outstanding’, but there’s always room for improvement.”
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Elvis & Kresse reclaims London’s fire hoses to make beautiful bags
Ever wonder what happens to London’s decommissioned fire-hoses?
Elvis & Kresse was established in 2005 to save this sturdy equipment from landfill. Today, the company makes bags and homeware from 15 different reclaimed materials. Some 50% of profits from the Fire-hose Collection go to The Fire Fighters Charity.
“We do 3 things, we rescue, we transform, and we donate,” says founder Kresse Wesling.
B-Corp certification builds a “community” of businesses,” she added. “We can support each other, we can grow together, and we have a much bigger voice collectively.”
This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.
