It’s B Corp Month! We’re so proud to be a B Corp and be a part of the business-for-purpose movement, so of course we will be celebrating throughout the month. 

To get started, we thought it’d be fun to have a lighthearted post this week where the team introduces their favourite B Corps. Who knows, it might help you find a new favourite brand!

Without further ado, let’s dive into it and explore some incredibly awesome, purposeful businesses who are changing the world. 

Founder – Luke 

“Found it very hard to choose only two!” 

Outland Denim

Outland Denim is actually a bit of a group favourite here at The Sponge, and honestly, I don’t blame us! They’re disrupting the denim industry with their ethical practices by using only organic cotton which is proven to use 91% less water than conventional cotton. 

They also farm their cotton with zero pesticides and agrochemicals, this keeps the soil healthy, and doesn’t add to water pollution which can severely hurt the health of farmers. 

But another factor that makes them so loved is their dedication to empowerment. They began as a company that helps victims of sexual exploitation to have a form of safe and dignified employment. However, they’ve since widened their scope to accept employees from varying backgrounds of vulnerability. 

They know all their seamstresses by name and train them in every element of the jean-making process over a period of approximately two years. Their seamstresses are paid a living wage which ensures that they have enough income to afford a decent standard of living, providing them a sense of freedom through financial security.

At Outland Denim, every button, rivet and stitch are selected by their designers with the ultimate intention to minimise impact on the environment and ensure zero exploitation within their whole supply chain. A truly amazing brand.

Who Gives a Crap

Did you know that roughly 40% of the global population do not have access to a toilet? This means that around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water sanitation. 

This is what led to Who Gives a Crap Founders, Simon Griffiths, Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga to start Who Gives a Crap, an eco-friendly toilet paper company. 

They boast different kinds of toilet paper too! A 100% bamboo toilet paper made from 100% forest friendly bamboo. And 100% recycled toilet paper which is made from 100% recycled paper. 

But amazing products aside, they donate an incredible 50% of their profits to help build toilets for those in need. To this day, they’re donated over $1.8 million dollars to charity and have no doubt made an amazing difference in many people’s lives. 

Impact Growth Alchemist – Jess

Allbirds

Allbirds is a shoe company that specialises in simplistic designs made from all natural and sustainable materials. They were founded by New Zealander, Tim Brown.

Allbirds shoes are made up of a natural wool fabric made from merino wool, as well as a tree fiber known as TENCEL™ Lyocell. The latter is sourced from South African farms who minimise fertilizer use and rely on rainfall, not irrigation. TENCEL™ Lyocell also uses 95% less water compared to cotton. 

The soles of Allbirds shoes are made from SweetFoam™, a material derived from sugarcane that is sourced from Southern Brazil. Like the TENCEL™ Lyocell, SweetFoam™ is also made from sugarcane farms that rely on rainwater only. It is a fully renewable resource that grows quickly and removes carbon from the atmosphere in the process.

They’re also committed to being carbon neutral and they donate any lightly used, second hand Allbirds to communities who need them, seriously one amazing brand here!

CAUSEBOX

Everyone loves surprises, right? Causebox is a delightful subscription box whose goal is to increase awareness about the purposeful and eco-friendly brands that we have available. 

Every three months, a box ships out to subscribers containing an amazing assortment of goodies:

Jewelry – That create fair trade jobs
Apparel – That empower artisans
Homewares – That give back to charity
Exclusive Artwork – That supports local and global artists
Beauty Products – That are vegan and eco-friendly
Accessories – That create opportunities for women
Wellness Products – That are ethically and sustainably made. 

Some of the brands they have shipped in the past include eco-friendly skin care brand Wyld, and Klei Beauty, an ethical beauty brand.

And they don’t just support brands that give back, they also give back. They regularly partner with different charities to help them raise funds, awareness and help tell their stories of empowerment and impact. Some charities they’ve supported in the past include: Freedom Firm, Speak your Silence, Trees for the Future and Books for Africa!

Amplifier of Awesome – Yinny

Alter Eco

Alter Eco is a chocolate brand that is seriously purpose-driven. They choose clean ingredients, using only sustainable, 100% certified organic and non-GMO ingredients to make their chocolate. 

They also invest in farmers, sourcing 100% of their products from small scale organic farmers to support their industry. 

They’re committed to regenerating the earth, choosing organic farming practices over more harmful farming methods. For example, conventional cacao cultivation focuses on monoculture which results in soil degradation and bio-diversity loss. However, they only work with farmers who practice dynamic agroforestry. This is a method of agriculture that strives to mimic the natural evolution of a forest which avoids soil degradation and promotes the wellbeing of the farms.

Also, their wrappers and packaging is 100% compostable and biodegradable! So you won’t have to feel guilty about grabbing a bag of their individually wrapped chocolates. 

Plus, I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet! Their chocolate is absolutely delicious. My favorite is the burnt caramel and also the burnt butter flavor, yum!

Kester Black

When picturing nail polish, a lot of people aren’t a huge fan because of all the chemicals inside every bottle. But Kester Black is truly unique in that it’s one of the only brands to dedicate themselves to eco-friendly nail polish!

It’s founded by New Zealander, Anna Ross, whose goal was to create a planet friendly nail polish and she’s done exactly that. All Kester Black products are produced sustainable, they’re also vegan, cruelty-free, carbon neutral and B Corp certified. All of these labels have attracted a like minded following from customers worldwide and each of them love these ethical nail polishes. 

Their polishes are also 10-Free™, this means that they strip out 10 of the nastiest chemicals that are commonly found in standard polishes. As a result, Kester Black polishes contain no formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate or animal derived or animal tested ingredients. They’re also water permeable which allows the nails to stay healthy!

And the final reason as to why they’re a favourite, they donate $1 from every purchase towards a charity. So far, they’ve supported causes that protect women from domestic violence, causes that provide shelter to asylum seekers and causes that support Syrian refugees!

Better Business for a Better World

And there we have it! Some of The Sponge’s favourite B Corps listed here to kick off B Corp Month celebrations. We were proud to share these with you, and hopefully introduced you to some potential new favourites. 

What are your favorite B Corps? Let us know in the comments section below!