Yes, that’s right. Be Fresh is a B Corp, people – this is a big deal! But being a B Corp is only important if you know what it means. (Just kidding, it’s important either way, but you should still know.)
So, what’s a B Corp?
The “B” in B Corp stands for “benefit”. That’s exactly what B Corps are certified to do. As stated by the B Corp site,“B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems.” Basically, what Fair Trade is to coffee or USDA Organic is to milk, B Corp is to business.
How is Be Fresh a B Corp?
At Be Fresh, we’re a B Corp through our parent company, SPUD, because of our focus on reusable and low-waste packaging, our commitment to sourcing and supporting local business, and our continuous community outreach (ex. bin drives). SPUD has been a B Corp since 2013 – read about why else they’re a B Corp here!
How to become a B Corp?
To become a B Corp, a company must undergo a rigorous assessment. This isn’t some hippie-dippie nonsense. A company must take an impact assessment, schedule an assessment review with supporting documentation, complete said review, support with more documentation, complete a final questionnaire, AND submit to numerous background checks. They also must meet legal requirements and pay certification fees. On top of that, once a B Corp has been certified, it must update its assessment every 2 years. It’s an extensive and lengthy process, but it’s worth it.
Tons of other cool companies are B Corps too! We’re talking big guys like Patagonia, Seventh Generation, and Etsy, and tons of smaller favourites too. With just over 2000 companies worldwide that are certified B Corps, we’re pretty darn proud to be one of them.