Drum roll, please; it’s time to welcome some new Bs! We’re celebrating four local Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand B Corps that have championed positive change since day one. These businesses were born from a desire to redefine how things ‘have always been done’ in their industry. On the surface, they’re entirely different. But each, in their own unique ways, normalises and amplifies sustainable everyday choices and ways of living.
Greatest Good makes it simple to spend with impactful organisations, Collective Objective builds powerful brand identities that cut through the noise, Holistic Hair uses a combination of plants and science to care for our locks, and Direct to Source makes ‘totes’ good reusable retail bags and packaging.
Without further ado, let’s get acquainted with our newest local B Corps!
Image: Collective Objective
Bringing ‘good’ to you: Greatest Good
Greatest Good makes it a breeze to search, support, and spend with organisations that do good. Spotlighting social enterprises, charities, not-for-profits, and fellow B Corps, Greatest Good describe themselves as a “digital ecosystem”. Using their values-based filtering system, it’s a space where visitors can find organisations dedicated to “tackling the issues they care about” as well as opportunities to advocate alongside these purpose-driven brands. This might look like purchasing their products, making a donation, attending an event, collaborating or working with the organisation.
“[We] dream of a sustainable, purpose-driven economy built on integrity, equity, and fairness. We achieve this by making it easier for consumers to find and support purpose-driven organisations.”
— Greatest Good
We know that trying to make more conscious everyday choices is increasingly top of mind for many, and Greatest Good hopes to make these options easier to discover. Users can enjoy wandering Greatest Good’s virtual aisles with peace of mind, knowing that they have done the legwork vetting each product, event, and opportunity. Last financial year (2023), the Victoria-based B Corp also donated over $45,000 to the community through “discounted membership subscriptions, pro bono, and low-bono consulting services”.
“We do the heavy lifting to avoid impact-washing organisations, making it easy for consumers to do the Greatest Good. We also reinvest at least 50% of our profits back into delivering our social purpose.”
— Greatest Good
Image: supplied by Greatest Good
Meaningful messaging: Collective Objective
The team at strategic branding and design studio Collective Objective is passionate about partnering with community and purpose-driven clients. They know how crucial it is for these businesses to have their impact heard loud and clear. That’s why Collective Objective doesn’t just create branding—they specialise in measuring it, too, ensuring every message hits home and truly cuts through the noise.
“Branding can be a powerful force for good when it’s used to leverage businesses that exist to change the world, so we want to focus our efforts on helping them to succeed as much as we can.“
— Collective Objective
To Collective Objective, creating strong brand identities goes beyond clever messaging and creative storytelling. It involves having the courage and curiosity to step back and ask, “Is this working as we expected?”
“Designing and measuring impact is an integral part, and sometimes missing element, of brand communications and reporting. We embed this throughout the brand framework to fully support businesses throughout every part of the process to deliver and report on their brand promise.“
— Collective Objective
Collective Objective proudly donates to the Australian Conservation Foundation and is a member of 1% for the Planet. Plus, for anyone pursuing greater work/life balance (and let’s face it, who isn’t), Collective Objective sounds like a pretty appealing employer, with a fully part-time team that clocks on no more than four days per week. After all, we all know that creative juices tend to run dry without time to disconnect and rest!
“This is a stressful industry, so this is massively important for the mental health of our team. Plus, we have created space for weekly lunch and learns so that we are creating a learning culture—a simple change that we hope will reap benefits over time.“
— Collective Objective
Image: Collective Objective
Good hair days with B Corp Holistic Hair
Holistic Hair’s approach to haircare is a harmonious marriage of science and nature. They aim to make your locks lush while supporting overall health and wellness. The Aotearoa New Zealand-based B Corp offers shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair and scalp care solutions specially made with plant-based, vegan-certified ingredients. Founded in 2006, the Holistic Hair team have extensive experience in trichology (the study of scalp and hair health), and this expertise has informed the brand’s formulations since day one.
“Our hair care products are formulated using a majority of unique, sustainable, plant-based ingredients that are carefully selected for their ability to nourish and strengthen hair without harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances.“
— Holistic Hair
Holistic Hair holds Plastic Neutral Plus Certification as a mark of its “commitment to offset more plastic waste than it generates.” What’s more, all of the brand’s products are packaged using 100% recycled plastic bottles.
In the spirit of collaboration, Holistic Hair has joined forces with several fellow small businesses to collectively explore sustainable packaging solutions suitable for local and export use. Holistic Hair would like to see more companies embrace opportunities for collaboration to “accelerate progress towards sustainable practices and drive industry-wide change.”
“Through this project, we are committed to not only improving our own packaging practices but also contributing to broader industry advancements in sustainability.“
— Holistic Hair
Image: Holistic Hair
‘Totes’ good: Direct to Source
Ask any designer; branding goes far beyond logos or mission statements. It’s built into the finer details too including uniforms, merch, and packaging to name a few. On the surface, these seemingly small elements amplify brand names but they subtly embody their values as well. In other words, it would be pretty jarring if your favourite purpose-led fashion label handed over your new mindfully made threads in a single-use bag!
This is why newly Certified B Corporation Direct to Source exists to make ethically made brand merchandise, such as retail bags, uniforms, and packaging, easily accessible to brands that share their “vision for a future where planet and profit thrive in harmony.”
“We believe that quality products don’t have to cost the Earth, the people making them, or the businesses creating them… Our greatest impact initiative has been helping brands make a comprehensive shift towards sustainability and social responsibility.“
— Direct to Source
Based in Melbourne, Direct to Source have worked with the likes of Gorman, National Geographic, P.E Nation, and General Pants Co. They use eco-conscious materials, including hemp, recycled cotton, organic cotton, and rPET (a poly fibre made using recycled plastic bottles). Direct to Source works with its own manufacturing facilities, which have been audited to Fair Work Certification Standards, and the B Corp exclusively works with like-minded fabric mills and suppliers who show commitment to innovation, ethical production, and quality.
“[We’d like to see] discontinued use of petroleum-based virgin plastics. The alternatives are out there, and companies should be supported through government legislation to move away from virgin plastics and use recycled or recyclable materials where possible.“
— Direct to Source
Image: Direct to Source
A word of advice
We know that, for those on the road to certification, hearing from B Corps about their experience can be highly educational, informative, and encouraging. Which is why we love to pick new-B’s brains to gain their unique insight.
Holistic Hair shared that intentionally seeking out advice from other B Corps was an integral part of their journey, explaining that “learning from others can provide valuable guidance and support throughout the certification process.” As an organisation still in its formative years, Greatest Good reflected that the BIA helped them formalise their foundational policies and documents.
“As a relatively new start-up organisation, many of our procedures were undocumented, and documenting these as part of our application or verification processes was extremely helpful. It not only gave us the opportunity to minimise business risk, it also identified a number of opportunities to improve what we are doing.”
— Greatest Good
The team at Collective Objective vouch for the value of engaging a B Consultant who can offer bespoke industry-specific guidance and a sense of continuity through the certification process. In fact, they recently welcomed a B Consultant into their own team in order to offer this service to their client community. Similarly, Direct to Source also found it beneficial to seek external support through a sustainability consultant.
“The certification process provided us with a road map to review all aspects of our business and behaviours. Following this road map, we engaged a sustainability consultant to help educate and guide us on best business practice and implement those recommendations into our business.”
— Direct to Source
Image: Direct to Source
A big thank you to Greatest Good, Collective Objective, Holistic Hair, and Direct to Source for sharing your journeys with us. Visit the blog to discover more newly Certified B Corporations or the directory to explore all local Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand-based B Corps. Interested in engaging a B Consultant? Browse the Directory here. Or maybe you’re keen to become one yourself! Learn more about the B Consultant Program here. Applications for our next training intake are now open until 12 July, 2024.
