How Circularly Guides Companies Through The B Corp Certification Process
Casey Plasker, Founder of Circularly | Circularly
The B Corp certification, bestowed by B Lab, is a badge of honor for businesses committed to both profitability and positive societal and environmental impact. By meeting rigorous standards in social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, companies showcase their dedication to responsible business practices.
Achieving B Corp status not only enhances a company's reputation but also attracts socially conscious consumers, driving long-term success. In an era where sustainability matters, this certification aligns businesses with a global community of like-minded organizations working towards a more sustainable and equitable future. It is a transformative journey that not only sets businesses apart but empowers them to be catalysts for positive change.
I sat down with Casey Plasker, a B Corp expert who guides businesses to build impactful ventures and steers them through the vital B Corp certification journey, to discover why this certification is a crucial step in creating businesses that make a positive difference.
Plasker's Certified B Corp journey commenced in 2016 when the opportunity arose to guide her first business through the certification process as the sustainability lead. This pivotal experience coupled with connections made along the way, propelled her to establish a consultancy focused on sustainability and circular economy strategy. Her work involves helping organizations align with Certified B Corp Standards and engage in impactful projects, spanning decarbonization strategies, circularity initiatives, JEDI analyses, living wage analyses, ESG supplier compliance, impact communication strategies, and more.
“Today, I focus my work on the intersection of corporate sustainability strategy and circularity. The core tenants of the work we do, are focused on creating localized, circular, and kind and equitable practices. Aligning with Certified B Corp standards has been an excellent entry for businesses hoping to start the process towards an integrated impact strategy with short-term rewards,” Plasker clarified.
Certified B Corps are businesses that meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability that balance profit and purpose.
With over 7,100 Certified B Corps globally, making up 161 industries and 93 countries, Plasker emphasized the comprehensive nature of these standards, suggesting that they work well when coupled with other topic-specific certifications, "While there are a ton of 'sustainability' related certifications out there, I really like Certified B Corp standards because they’re extremely holistic. I often recommend that Certified B standards be coupled with other topic-specific certifications to dive deeper.” She added, “I think it’s important to mention, there is no silver bullet to impact when it comes to certifications—and The B Corp Certification is no exception. There are holes to be poked in the certification process like all other certifications. At the same time, it can be an excellent and comprehensive tool to align with and can provide you with a vast network of like-minded folks working towards meaningful levels of impact. Becoming a Certified B Corp isn’t the endpoint, it’s just the beginning.”
Casey Plasker, Founder of Circularly | Circularly
Navigating the B Impact Assessment can be tricky. Currently, the assessment entails achieving a cumulative verified score of 80 points or above in five different categories: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Additionally, businesses need to pass a disclosure section to ensure they are not violating any of the assessment standards.
The B Impact assessment is evolving, with a new structure set to be finalized by the end of 2024, introducing mandatory requirements for businesses. This new structure will move away from achieving 80 points any which way, and move towards a set of mandatory requirements for all businesses. Requirements may vary by size and industry of each business—but the core will remain consistent.
“We’re so excited at the prospect of a standardized approach to the B Impact Assessment and have had the pleasure of providing feedback to the B Lab Standards team on the new set of standards—specifically providing our requested expertise on the new Circularity section which will require all product forward businesses to have a circularity strategy,” she exclaimed.
Since starting Circularly in 2020, Plasker's organization has collaborated with a diverse array of businesses, from multinational corporations to startups, spanning industries such as renewable energy, food and beverage, fashion, housing, entertainment, business services, and more. The organization focuses on helping businesses align with Certified B Corp Standards and implement Circular Economy strategies, with plans to prioritize industries such as housing, transportation, food and agriculture, and textiles in the coming years. “Each organization comes with its own challenges and unique impact business model (IBM) sections within the B Impact Assessment and we help businesses understand, measure, and report on these topics,” Plasker explained.
Circularly focuses on helping businesses align with Certified B Corp Standards and implement Circular Economy strategies, with plans to prioritize industries such as housing, transportation, food and agriculture, and textiles in the coming years.
Circularly at the 2022 B Corp Champions Retreat in Philadelphia | Circularly
Circularly’s purpose is to help shift our global economy to output planetary regeneration, deep community impact, and radical humanity and equity and actively does so by focusing on helping businesses align with Certified B Corp Standards and implement Circular Economy strategies. “We’re so excited that these two items will soon become one for all product-driven businesses with the launch of the new standards. In 2024, our goal is to continue on this path and also prioritize work with clients that work in the following imperative industries, such as Housing, Transportation, Food & Agriculture, and Textiles. By focusing on these industries, we’re able to maximize the impact we’re able to have and support a just transition in these industries,” Plasker outlined her plan for upcoming years.
For businesses considering the Certified B Corp journey, Plasker concluded with the following advice:
Cross-functional work: The B Impact assessment is a comprehensive overview of your business. As such, you’ll want to create a “B Corp Squad” within your organization and go through the B Impact Assessment together. You’ll also want to have someone internally who is the project lead to help keep the project moving forward.
Start with Legal Requirement: Make sure you look into the legal requirement first and foremost. This can be a hindrance to becoming a certified B Corp—and it’s the worst when you find out you’re not able to make the legal changes necessary after you’ve spent the energy to align with B Corp Standards.
Make sure you’re eligible: While aligning with Certified B Corp standards is a worthwhile endeavor regardless of having the outcome being certification, some industries are ineligible for certification. Make sure to cross-reference those before you begin that way your expectations for the outcome are aligned.
Start ASAP - Budget Time, & Energy: The sooner you start the better. For businesses going through the process cold - budget at least 9-12 months to get to a point of submission. Note that you will likely need to create new reporting frameworks, policies, and procedures to align with the B Corp Certification process.
Have Patience: The process of submission takes a while, and so does the Verification process (with waiting times as long as 6-9 months). Make sure all folks who care about the timeline to potential certification are aware of this time lag.
If you’d like to learn more about what we can do for you, please contact us at purpose@conspiracyoflove.co.
