25 Dec 2023
We’re SO PROUD that smol has been a certified a B Corp company since 2023 (wahoo!) and we think it’s definitely something our customers, our employees and the planet celebrate.
Here’s why…
B Corp Certification only goes to companies that meet HIGH standards of both social and environmental performance. Companies that believe in:
- Prioritising people and the planet over profit
- Using business as a force for good
- Being the change that they seek
All values that smol has worked hard to embody right since the start.
The assessment.
Certification is awarded by the non-profit B Lab; they assess every single part of a business and only certifies a company based on how you create value for your NON-shareholding stakeholders such as your employees, the local community and the environment.
There are over 200 in-depth and thought-provoking questions that must be answered at length. They span 5 different areas of your company and each area is then assessed by B Lab and given a score.
The 5 areas of interest.
1. Governance
Proper stakeholder governance is a central part of being a B Corp. It's a desire to run your business so that it can create positive results for people, communities and the planet… not just for shareholder profit.
2. Workers
B Corp companies must treat their employees well. That’s vital. This area looks at things like wages, benefits, training, worker ownership and working environments.
3. Community
The community section examines our engagement with and our impact on the communities we work within; suppliers, distributors, the local economy and community plus it looks at our practices around diversity, job creation and charity work.
4. Environment
This area covers our direct AND ALSO indirect environmental impact. A great many environmental points are investigated across climate, water, air, land and life. Conservation of wildlife, land and resources is examined, chemical reduction is assessed and innovation to preserve the environment is analysed amongst many other things.
5. Customers
Here’s where smol is assessed around our impact to the customer, even down to whether we are providing for certain groups of people that are traditionally under-served. It’s an area we pride ourselves in, with our commitment to customer service, convenience for all and a fair price.
And the scores?
The average UK business will score 50.9 after a B Lab Impact Assessment BUT that is NOT good enough to qualify.
A company must achieve 80 points or more to certify.
And we are proud to say smol scored 99.3! Which was a phenomenal score for our first assessment.
Just the start.
This meticulous assessment proved itself a brilliant tool for assessing smol’s social impact and sustainability.
In fact it highlighted to us a useful list of best practices around engaging our employees, giving back to the community, working to conserve the environment and an awful lot more.
It confirmed to us our areas of strength and flagged some we need to improve. It also allowed us to benchmark ourselves against other companies in our field.
All vital information as we continue to build a brilliant business that does good and puts back.
In great company.
We’re proud to count ourselves alongside other B Corp businesses. Together this movement is working towards a more inclusive, fair and sustainable economy. One that aims to benefit all rather than only profiting a few.
Onwards & upwards.
Launching smol gave us the opportunity to benefit the planet, our workforce and our customers in the way we established ourselves. B Corp Certification is part and parcel of this and it’s important we realise this is a journey; that the need to evolve is constant and that we can work to change other cleaning brands for the better as we continue to cut carbon, chemicals and plastic.
washes powered by smol have saved
3,080
tonnes of plastic
6,914
tonnes of chemicals
51,241
tonnes of carbon
119
tonnes of animal fat
5,959,643
litres of water shipped
4,473,323
washes donated
Together we’ve also prevented almost 6 million litres of water from being pointlessly shipped from place to place.
AND we’ve ensured over 4 million laundry capsules have gone to those who are struggling with hygiene poverty.
Having a can-do attitude and commitment to really using our business for good doesn’t stop with the environment however.
It’s also about our passion for diversity, inclusion and governance. It’s in the ethos of employees taking paid volunteer days to join their community and make a difference, it’s our dedication to flexible working, it’s in the way we consult our stakeholders via our wonderful smol circle group that ANY customer can get involved with.
The list goes on.
BUT we’re far from the finished article and there’s so much more to do. Through innovation, a strongly shared mission and the talents of our wonderful team, we’re excited to continue our B Corp journey and with our goal of cleaning up the planet.
Catherine Green, Cleaning Expert
Catherine has been on a mission to revolutionise the way we tackle chores since the dawn of smol and is an advocate for making more sustainable living accessible to all, with a strong focus in cleaning that’s heavy on dirt, lighter on the planet and gentle on the skin. Catherine has tested hundreds of hacks to make tackling chores easier, safer, and better for the planet and our homes.
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