To celebrate B Corp month, here are 12 of our favourite better businesses – brands that are committed to using their business as a force for good
Not all companies do business kindly. Many are yet to be inclusive, pay fair wages, offer safe working conditions and look after the planet. But, all businesses can do better.
And, as consumers, we have power in our pockets: our money. When you shop, you can choose to buy from a company that thinks about more than just profit. Change can only begin with us; collectively coming together to demand that companies do better for a more sustainable future.
You can support businesses that consider their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. You can buy from a certified B Corporation.
Why does this matter?
As a B Corp, running our business ethically and sustainably is so important to us at Happiful, as is supporting other companies that follow our way of thinking.
It’s not easy to achieve B Corp status – it involves a rigorous assessment of a company’s impact and means meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
It means proving that you’re committed to helping create a society that enjoys shared and durable prosperity.
Yes, it might sound a little idealistic, but it’s a core part of our mission and we’re thrilled to be part of a community of more than 2,300 B Corporations around the world. And we think it’s something that you, our wonderful readers, will care about too.
So, to celebrate B Corp month, here are 12 of our favourite better businesses that we want to bring to your attention.
COOK
Food that’s delicious as well as nutritious, every COOK meal is hand-prepared and conveniently packaged for the freezer.
COOK saved our bacon (pardon the pun) in December 2020. Despite the pandemic, the Happiful team wanted to celebrate Christmas together (as we do every year), and COOK provided us with the perfect Christmas dinners for us to eat together over Zoom. It got a big thumbs up from all of the team, so why not try some meals out for yourself?
Bulb
Bulb’s mission is to transform the way energy is bought, used and produced. They give consumers a choice of energy we haven’t had before; energy that’s fast, reliable, affordable and, of course, renewable.
The 100% renewable electricity Bulb sells is sourced from independent, run of river hydroelectric plants in North Wales and Scotland and the 10% renewable gas (the cleanest on the market) comes from biomethane gas plants outside Oxford.
🎉 It’s #BCorp month. That’s 31 whole days of celebrating what it means to be a better business. And we’re in good company, too. There are nearly 4,000 other B Corps out there in the wild, what a beautiful thing 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OwssvF8edv
— Bulb (@BulbUK) March 1, 2021
graze
You might know graze as the delivered-to-your-door snack boxes. Well, as the UK’s number one healthy snack brand, graze has been reimagining snacking for over 10 years now. graze snacks can now also be found in shops across the UK – and they’re certainly a regular snack of choice in the Happiful office!
Happiful Membership Services Executive Hannah particularly recommends their cocoa oat bites. Who doesn’t love a guilt-free, tasty snack?
We’re now a @BCorpUK! B Corps believe in business as a force for good in the world – a great idea, don’t you think? Read how graze snacks are a force for good here: https://t.co/kR1TWCTapQ #BCorp pic.twitter.com/cQnEryXiem
— graze.com UK (@grazedotcom) February 19, 2021
ustwo
ustwo is a leading design, technology, games, and venture company. They design, build and invest in digital products, services, and immersive experiences that people love. We’re sure you’ll recognise one of their much-loved products – none other than Joe Wicks’ the Body Coach app.
If you’re looking for some new games to try, our own Head of Membership Services Jo loves ustwo’s Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and Monument Valley I and II.
innocent Drinks
innocent launched in 1999 after selling their first smoothies at a music festival. More than 20 years later, they now make all sorts of smoothies, juices and other healthy, delicious drinks – all part of their quest to help people live well and die old.
They also take full responsibility for the impact of their business on society and the environment, looking for ways to improve all the time. innocent also gives 10% of their profits to charity, mainly via the innocent foundation, which gives grants to charities so that they can help the world’s hungry.
Not only that, but they make what they do enjoyable for their customers, so we engage with their mission. Happiful magazine’s Editor Becca applauds their approach to fun and engaging marketing.
It’s #BCorp month. A bit like Pancake Day but less lemony and 31 times longer. There’s nearly 4000 of us B Corps around the world, all committed to doing business in a better way.
Thoughts of ‘what is B Corp?’ keeping you up at night? Find out more here: https://t.co/LdvDueu6d5— innocent drinks (@innocent) March 1, 2021
DAME.
DAME. is the creator of D, the world’s first reusable tampon applicator, and organic tampons. They’re eliminating plastic, waste, and chemicals from period products.
We really think they’re ahead of the curve in their industry. Not only are they committed to putting the planet first, but they’re also empowering women to make the right choice for their cycle. They’ve now introduced reusable pads and liners into their product range and, with so many great options, there’s something to suit every menstrual cycle.
teapigs UK
teapigs make a big thing about using quality real tea. By quality real tea, they mean whole leaf tea, whole leaf herbs, whole berries, whole spices and whole flowers. Not the dusty stuff you’ll find in regular paper teabags.
They’ve racked up over 100 Great Taste Awards over the years, and we can see why. Their peppermint teabags have a firm place next to the Happiful kettle.
This week’s focus for @BCorpUK Month is the environment – and did you know we were the first tea company to be awarded the Plastic-Free Trust Mark by @aplastic_planet?
Head this way for all our packaging info, including how best to dispose of each part > https://t.co/hbQw1uWK1O pic.twitter.com/cvkG155gE8
— teapigs (@teapigs) March 16, 2021
The Body Shop
The Body Shop has a long-standing commitment to supporting social and environmental movements. The brand uses its presence across the world to raise awareness and advocate for long-term change on many issues, including human trafficking, domestic violence, climate change, deforestation, whaling, and animal testing in the cosmetic industry.
The company pioneered the fair trade movement in the beauty industry and continues to work in partnership with suppliers across the world, sourcing high-quality natural ingredients, accessories and packaging through its Community Trade programme.
It goes without saying that we love their products. But, as a true force for good in the beauty industry, we love their ethos even more.
— The Body Shop UK (@TheBodyShopUK) March 22, 2021
BrewDog
A new business on the list, BrewDog became a B Corp in February 2021. Established in Scotland in 2007, from day one they’ve seen the potential of beer as a force for good.
Not only is BrewDog a world-leading craft beer business, but they are also the world’s first carbon-negative brewery – an incredible achievement. They remove all of their emissions at The BrewDog Forest, near their home in the Scottish Highlands.
From lager to IPA, stout to American Pale Ale, as well as alcohol-free options, they offer a great selection of beers.
Our Buy One Get One Tree initiative has meant that 1,013,851 have been planted so far! 🙌
Here’s to you, keep drinking beer and planting trees 🌲🌎🍻 pic.twitter.com/ksb13YAkwc
— BrewDog (@BrewDog) March 15, 2021
Jude’s
Jude’s is a family business dedicated to making stripey tubs of ice cream joy. Not only that, they’re Britain’s first-ever (and possibly the world’s first) carbon-negative ice cream and desserts company.
For them, it’s not just about making heel-kickingly good ice cream – it’s about using business as a force for good. Their family ethos is to look out for everyone in the supply chain.
As a family business ourselves, we love to know that other families share our vision in putting their people first.
World of Books Group
World of Books is a leading global seller of used books online. Established by a group of dedicated book lovers with an ethos to do good, over the past decade, World of Books has seen its inventory grow from 1,000 books to over 4 million in stock.
They are pioneers in the re-use and recycling of unwanted books, reusing around 12 million books and recycling about 80 million books each year, an equivalent saving to 500,000 trees.
World of Books also purchases significant volumes of waste and surplus books from charity shops throughout the UK and Ireland – boosting revenues for these good causes and saving them waste disposal costs. This business model now generates over £3m of value for UK charities every year.
If you love to read and do right by the planet, what’s not to love about World of Books?
For us at World of Books Group, #BetterBusiness is creating a company that’s built around core values. This is why, as a Certified B Corp, we’ve embedded them into our business.
Our values are… pic.twitter.com/4JOyUnuUpB— World of Books (@WorldofBooksltd) March 3, 2021
Pip & Nut
Pip & Nut make delicious, palm-oil free natural nut butters and nut butter cups. They are all about positive energy – you could say, their jar is always half-full.
Whilst their plastic jars are fully recyclable and made of 30% RPET (recycled polyethylene tetraphyte), they knew they could do more to protect the environment. So, after listening to customer feedback, Pip & Nut recently announced that they will be moving to glass jars. What’s more, they’re also looking to commit to becoming Net-Zero.
For a nut butter lover, there’s so much to love about Pip & Nut.
♻️Big News♻️
You have been asking us to move to glass jars and we have listened. We began working on this project over two years ago but we are really happy to now announce that glass is coming in July. 🎉 @#bcorpuk (thread continued) pic.twitter.com/MjuExWRIdj— Pip&Nut (@pipandnut) March 17, 2021
To find out more about why we’re dedicated to using business for good, read our B Corp commitment.
Or you can download the Happiful app – the UK’s positive mental health app – today. For positive mental health advice at your fingertips, download the app on the App Store or Google Play.