For our network of organisations committed to making this world a better place, recertification is a recurring ritual that comes with the territory, and for good reason. A checkpoint of sorts, it’s an opportunity for B Corps to reflect on their impact, update (and improve!) their B Impact Score, measure their efforts against evolving standards, and, importantly, celebrate their wins!
Recently, we had the pleasure of catching up with three B Corps who recertified in 2024: Huskee, Green Moves, and NEO Leaders. These local B Corps have plenty to be proud of, and their recertification experiences serve as a reminder of just how unique each of our journeys are. It’s through sharing these experiences that we help each other and shape together what it means to be a B Corp.
Please join us in giving a roaring virtual round of applause to Huskee, Green Moves, and NEO Leaders!
Image: Huskee
A cup of convenience: Giving single-use the boot with Huskee
Huskee is known for its functional and chic reusable coffee cups designed for home, cafe, and takeaway use. As eco-friendly as they are aesthetically pleasing, each is made from repurposed waste, including coffee husk—a by-product of the production of coffee.
Huskee describes recertification as “a great process to review and reflect on where we are as a business,” adding that, in their experience, it pays to “involve as many members of our team as possible”.
“It’s great for more people in the organisation to understand the B Corp process and standards. [They] can also unlock new areas in the business we can improve.”
— Huskee
If you ask Huskee, “becoming a better business” often looks like implementing small, incremental tweaks that, over time, yield significant good. In this vein, Huskee shared that they’ve made “many minor improvements” over the past three years. However, the lion’s share of their focus has been on optimising the materiality of new product ranges like HuskeeSteel (made with 91% post-consumer recycled stainless steel) and HuskeeRenew (made with Certified 50% post-consumer recycled plastic).
“We have also simplified and expanded our HuskeeLoop returns process,” the New South Wales-based B Corp explains. Through this closed-loop initiative, consumers and businesses can return their end-of-life cup for a fresh one while their old Huskee is recycled and reimagined into new products such as this bowl for your four-legged furry friend.
In the coming years, continuing to “make reuse approachable and viable at scale” will be at the centre of the Huskee team’s attention, with their sights firmly set on a new system called HuskeeBorrow.
Image by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Leading by example with NEO Leaders Limited
We don’t need to tell you that leveraging business as a force for good requires strong leadership. The folks at NEO Leaders know this. It’s what they’re all about! Drawing on business and psychology principles, this B Corp coaches executives on how to be the best leaders they can be, be catalysts for purposeful change, and captain teams through the ever-shifting tides of industry.
Walking the walk, NEO Leaders donate at least 20% of their net profits annually to social and environmental causes. Impressively, in 2023, they donated over double this figure. Further, as part of their enduring ecological restoration initiative, NEO Leaders plant a tree for every individual they coach or mentor. Since 2022, they have planted over 25,000 indigenous trees through this program, recently sharing on their blog that this restoration site is now “legally protected for future generations.”
NEO Leaders’ recertification story highlights why it is so crucial for B Corp standards to evolve and become stronger over time. B Corp Certification is a rigorous mark representing high social and environmental standards. But to maintain this rigour, our standards must be a living, moving thing, constantly becoming stronger as we challenge ourselves and each other to improve.
“A Certification label doesn’t define us but helps us amplify the great work we do.”
— NEO Leaders
Image: Green Moves
Guiding Aussies in how to protect planet (and pocket) with Green Moves
Green Moves is an independent sustainability consulting company that helps folks save energy, emissions, and money. The firm, which started as a small family business in 2009, calls Melbourne home, but its reach spans organisations, government, and households Australia-wide.
In addition to its extensive suite of expert services, Green Moves also hosts community education sessions, free online training, and short courses. Since last certifying, they’ve multiplied the reach of these programs by five.
“Our focus the past few years has been to improve and extend our free community education sessions and extend carbon reporting outreach and assistance.” they share, “We are proud to have achieved this, although there is always more to do!” Yep, that’s the B Corp spirit! Green Moves also understands that you can’t underestimate the power of making positive operational changes behind the scenes, so switching banks is next on their agenda.
Reflecting on recertification with transparency, Green Moves points out that for small businesses with limited people power, it can be challenging to monitor all areas of impact all the time. For those in the same boat, they say, “it’s worth keeping a spreadsheet and logging the things that are important key performance indicators so you can see how much you’ve really done. It helps to keep motivation going when you look back at the end of the year.”
Thank you to Huskee, Green Moves, and NEO Leaders for sharing your story. Click here to review and contribute your feedback on the evolving B Corp standards before the consultation phase ends. Recertifying soon? Bookmark our recertification guide and register for our February Q&A session—the perfect opportunity to ask all your burning recertification-related questions.
