News > Open letter: Calling the economy to account

Open letter: Calling the economy to account

Umwelt & Nachhaltigkeit
Partnerschaften zur Erreichung der Ziele
Inovation for impact

More than 25 B Corps in Germany have signed an open letter to the economy in which they call on the economy to question the profit-maximizing orientation of the last century and to take responsibility for the effects on all those involved.

All signatories:
As of July 19, 2023

EVERGREEN GmbH infarm Nespresso Weleda respektive1 GmbH PNZ Produkte GmbH

altamedinet

Unique-U ecotree Y2B innocent Wildling Shoes GmbH Innate Motion ekomia GmbH ANINSU Nextview Consulting the nu company GmbH Vinokilo neosfer GmbH Tomorrow GmbH Sustainable Growth Associates GmbH neu.land GmbH Startnext GmbH soulproducts GmbH fairpension Elephant Gin GmbH ferrer

The Makers Food

share GmbH Chiesi GmbH railslove Danone D-A-CH St. Oberholz Consulting GmbH Freche Freunde erdbär GmbH Peerigon GmbH Endeva

GOT BAG

Download the open letter

You can make a contribution by distributing the open letter. Simply download it here. Thank you very much!

News > Berlin Organics is recertified! Our questions for Klaas Koolman

Berlin Organics is recertified! Our questions for Klaas Koolman

Umwelt & Nachhaltigkeit
Nachhaltiger Konsum und Produktion
Climate change resilience

Berlin Organics has been a certified B Cop since 2017, producing brain food made from 100% organic ingredients, among other things. This year, the Berlin-based company has also been recertified for the first time. We asked founder Klaas Koolman a few questions about the process.

Company: BO Berlin Organics GmbH Number of employees: 5 Impact Business Model: “Toxin Reduction & Remediation”

Number of points before: 83.3 Number of points after: 85.4

Recertification takes place every three years. What has changed at Berlin Organics in terms of sustainability since the initial certification?

In the meantime, we have succeeded in obtaining FairWild™ certification for our fairly and directly traded baobab powder. FairWild is similar to the FairTrade seal for coffee or cocoa, but for wild-collected plants that cannot be cultivated in plantations or similar. The FairWild Standard is a set of guidelines designed to ensure the sustainable use and long-term survival of wild plant species in their habitats. The FairWild Standard consists of 11 principles and 29 criteria that take into account the ecological, social and economic requirements for sustainable wild collection. The FairWild Standard is implemented and monitored by the FairWild Foundation. As a company, we can prove the sustainability of our directly and fairly traded baobab powder with the certification from Berlin Organics.

You now have more points than before. Which measures stand out in particular, as a result of which you are now certified with more points?

Ultimately, there is not one single measure that stands out in particular. It is more about incremental improvements in different areas. For example, in the Impact Business Model, which recognizes the direct trade in baobab and the use of directly traded baobab powder from Zimbabwe in most of our products.

How much lead time did you have to prepare for the recertification process?

We had prepared the recertification a few weeks in advance. The entire recertification process then took a few months this time – partly slowed down by the additional challenges of the coronavirus crisis.

What was the most difficult part of the process?

We wouldn’t necessarily describe the recertification process as difficult. The real challenge – at least for us as a small team – is to provide the necessary time resources and to allow enough time for recertification in parallel with day-to-day business.

Was the recertification more difficult than the initial certification and if so, why?

We wouldn’t say that. If you were already personally involved in the initial certification, recertification may even be a little easier, as you already know the process and the questions and may also have the relevant data on hand for many areas.

What advice would you give to other B Corps who are about to be recertified?

As always, take a fun approach and perhaps get the person who was involved in the initial certification back on board for the recertification. This makes the process more effective.

More at: https://www.berlinorganics.de/

About Berlin Organics

Natural Ingredients. Premium Happiness – that’s what we stand for at Berlin Organics. We believe that nature provides everything we need for a healthy diet – without any artificial vitamins or pills. We offer a wide range of different brainfoods that follow exactly this principle. From healthy snacks and functional vitality drinks for better performance at work or at university, to vegan proteins and superfood powders. Real performance food for mind and body – we rely on a combination of natural vitamins, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms and superfoods. All our products are organic, vegan and free from additives.

News > Sympatex: Collaboration and Innovation in the Circular Economy

Sympatex: Collaboration and Innovation in the Circular Economy

Groß- & Einzelhandel
Umwelt & Nachhaltigkeit
Nachhaltiger Konsum und Produktion
Partnerschaften zur Erreichung der Ziele
Circular economy

“Our primary strategic focus is on sustainability and this goal is even more important than short-term financial benefits”

Sympatex was awarded “Best for the World” in the environment category for the second time this year. We ask Rüdiger Fox, CEO at Sympatex, 5 questions about this and find out, among other things, why competition can no longer work and why it was a good idea to close the company for a day in 2016.

What do you think led to this award? What does the high score in this category represent?

At Sympatex, we have defined sustainability as a corporate goal. We believe that every company must consider its goals within a larger socio-economic system in this complex world. In this respect, our primary strategic focus is on sustainability and this goal is even more important than short-term financial benefits.

You also have several impact business models in the category. Can you briefly describe what they mean and what they represent?

We have realized that as a supplier of a polyester membrane, we are the missing element in the textile industry in the field of circular textiles. Polyester makes up 80% of synthetic materials in our industry. With our mono-material strategy, we can already prepare products in such a way that they can be easily recycled at the end of their life. And this has also been at the heart of all innovation topics and development projects in recent years. We are giving our customers the opportunity to prepare for the circular economy today.

What specific impact have you been able to achieve with the measures in this category? What are you particularly proud of?

Back in 2016, we founded a consortium whose members represent the circular economy in the textile industry – Wear2Wear. All partners have worked for over five years to ensure that the circular economy is already possible in the textile industry today. Last year, we presented a jacket at ISPO in Munich that we are particularly proud of: A jacket made entirely from used textiles. It was proof that the circular economy is possible. We have created a reference that the new EU legislation can use as a guide. It is therefore no longer a theory, but a tangible reality.

Without whom would the award not have been possible?

I believe the strategy could only become reality because it was made possible by all employees working together and is therefore the guiding principle for all activities in all areas. Nothing was controlled from the top down; instead, any changes were able to grow from the bottom up in the organization, meaning that everyone can identify with the results. And it was crucial that we developed the core strategy “We are closing the loop, together” together with all employees in 2016. To do this, we closed the company for a day and developed the foundations together. If we hadn’t done that, it would probably have been fragmented or just a bit of greenwashing. As it is, it is a reality that automatically flows into all areas of the company. Everyone tries, almost in a natural way, to move the company a little more in the direction in which our industry must develop holistically every day.

Finally, what are 3 words that define the B Corp movement for you?

Courage. … because those who join the movement are not only those who have recognized that things need to change, but also have the courage to actually implement them in the face of resistance and criticism.

Realistic. …because it is actually not a moral theory due to its implementation in the companies! In reality, every B Corp company proves anew every day that a different way of doing business is also a successful model. Sustainability and social compatibility are in no way contradictory to economic success – both can run in harmony.

Collaborative. …because anyone who studies the circular economy will realize that in an economic system where everyone is both customer and supplier, competition can no longer work. And in this respect, B Corp is the upgrade of what the economy can mean and therefore an example of what the future will look like.

About Sympatex

As one of the world’s leading suppliers, Sympatex® has been synonymous with high-tech functional materials in clothing, footwear, accessories and technical applications since 1986. Together with selected partners, Sympatex develops, produces and distributes membranes, laminates and functional textiles as well as finished products worldwide. The technologies and processes are based on the principle of ecological responsibility and sustainability, with a particular focus on minimizing the carbon footprint. Sympatex is represented worldwide with sales offices and subsidiaries. More information can be found at www.sympatex.com

About “Best for the World™ Each year, B Lab recognizes the top performing B Corps. “Best for the World” is the award given to a B Corp-certified company when it ranks in the top 5% globally in its respective size group in one of five impact areas: community, customers, environment, governance and employees. These companies demonstrate that they have successfully integrated the three pillars of sustainability and, as “the best for the world”, are at the forefront of a movement that is driving the transformation of business to a stakeholder-oriented and inclusive economy. This interview previously appeared on Karry Schwettmann’s blog

News > How B Corp PNZ Sets New Sustainability Standards in the Chemical Industry<br>

How B Corp PNZ Sets New Sustainability Standards in the Chemical Industry

Produktion
Umwelt & Nachhaltigkeit
Ökologische Nachhaltigkeit

Best For The World-Interview with Marcel Pietsch-Khalili

This year, B Corporation PNZ Holzpflege Manufaktur was recognized by B Lab as “Best for the World” in the Environment category. We ask Marcel Pietsch-Khalili, Managing Director, 5 questions about this and find out, among other things, how PNZ approaches sustainability as a chemical company and which factors have been decisive for its success in recent years. What do you think led to this award? What does the high score in this category represent?
We are very excited to have made it into the top 3 in the world in our category. But above all, we are delighted that our vision of approaching sustainability in a completely new way in a high-impact sector such as the chemical industry is paying off. Our B Corp score in the “Environment” category is currently 55.8. We have not only achieved this result for the development of particularly environmentally friendly products. In particular, we have succeeded in continuously optimizing production processes and product life cycles. One example: We have developed a new type of cleaning system and an assessment tool for the impact of product packaging “alongside” the actual product development. We have succeeded in making our company CO2-neutral in Scope 3 (i.e. including the supply chain). We are also working with internationally renowned institutes to research new technologies to make chemistry even more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly. All these parallel developments were only possible because we were able to make sustainability the core of our business model. You also have an Impact Business Model in the Environment category. Could you briefly describe what that is and what it entails?
We do not see sustainability as a business objective, but as the central core of all our activities. This is why we do not have a sustainability department; instead, working towards a resource-conserving approach to nature and society is the responsibility of all employees – every day. Our Impact Business Model comprises 6 levels:

Products and Their Lifecycle: From regional raw materials and packaging to lifespan as a relevant sustainability factor, all the way to end-of-lifecycle considerations.
Our Production: Including all inputs and outputs (such as water, air, etc.).
Our Value Chain: Particularly focusing on ethics and Scope 3 compensation (ensuring no unacknowledged exported pollution).
New Technologies: CO2 reduction and other research projects.
Social Issues: We evaluate ourselves based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 17) and take a stance on important social issues.

Last but not least: 6. the organization of sustainability efforts in the company What specific impact have you been able to achieve with the measures in this category? What are you particularly proud of? Our wood care manufactory is located in the Altmühltal Nature Park. The way to work takes us through one of the largest contiguous beech forests in Germany. This location and the strong regional ties of our 45 colleagues have shaped our conviction that sustainability is never finished. If we had to pick our top 3 results of the last 5 years, they would probably be the following: Environmental protection We are committed to environmental protection in all areas and are measured by this: We manufacture products from renewable, regional raw materials with the aim of reducing our CO2 footprint to zero. We offset 100% of the footprint that cannot be avoided today in Scope 3. We have our reduction targets reviewed and validated externally as part of the UN Science Based Targets Initiative and ISO 14001. We regularly provide a public account of our successes (and failures), for example in a comprehensive annual sustainability report. Company organization The company organization is the basic prerequisite for real impact improvement. At our company, all colleagues are involved in finding solutions for greater sustainability in their area. This flat organizational structure has proven to be very productive for us. In addition to the development of ever more sustainable products, this has resulted in, for example, break-proof shipping packaging for paints with 50% less cardboard and no plastics, or a new cleaning process for production containers that reduces waste by 80%. For many years, we have also been successfully researching new technologies whose environmental impact does not scale with increasing output and have completely restructured our product development process for this purpose. Our laboratory no longer researches products, but the continuous improvement of the sustainability of the entire raw materials portfolio. The raw materials described (and also newly discovered) are only included in the product formulation when they are suitable for us from a quality and environmental point of view. This ongoing development process has enabled us, for example, to formulate the first 100% oil for outdoor use with a current renewable raw material content of 96%. International cooperation We firmly believe in the power of international cooperation. This is why we regularly work on national and international research projects, currently one on the creation of a central environmental database for the chemical industry and one with the Max Planck Society on the extraction of raw materials from CO2. We also share our knowledge and experience with our market competitors because it makes the entire industry better. And, of course, we involve our supply chain and work closely with suppliers on sustainability and compliance with standards. What or who made this award possible? This question is very easy for us to answer. It is our employees who have initiated the strategy process towards a coherent impact business model, who have driven the company’s development and who have discovered, developed and implemented many small and large improvement measures. This broad foundation was the basis for everything. Finally, what are 3 (or 5 :)) words that define the B Corp movement for you? Together for a better world. About PNZ Holzpflege Manufaktur We have been at home in the idyllic Altmühltal Nature Park for more than 50 years. At PNZ Holzpflege-Manufaktur in Kipfenberg, 45 people work every day to produce the best care products for wood. We have particularly high standards. Both in terms of sustainability in everything we do and the quality of our products. This starts with the extraction of the raw materials, which come from our immediate surroundings as far as possible. In cooperation with the international Climate Neutral Group, we guarantee that our production and logistics are completely CO2-neutral. We are particularly proud of our certification as a holistically sustainable B Corporation, in which both the ecological and social impact of our business activities are subjected to close scrutiny. We show that sustainability is practically feasible. And we want to achieve our major goal: To leave only positive footprints! More information at www.pnz.de About “Best for the World”™ Every year, B Lab recognizes the best performing B Corps. “Best for the World” is awarded to a B Corp-certified company if it ranks in the top 5% globally in its respective size group in one of five impact areas: community, customers, environment, governance and employees. These companies prove that they have successfully integrated the three pillars of sustainability and, as “the best for the world”, are at the forefront of a movement that is driving the transformation of business to a stakeholder-oriented and inclusive economy. This interview previously appeared on Karry Schwettmann’s blog.

B Lab Germany