WHAT IS A B CORP?
We have joined a global community of over 8,000 companies that are working to use business as a force for good so that the economy benefits all people, communities, and the planet.
The B Corp community in the UK represents a broad cross-section of industries and sizes, comprises of over 2,000 companies, and includes well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and Abel & Cole.
The certification covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. Wellworking had to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.
Read our latest Impact Report to find out how we are continuing to improve that.
WHY GET CERTIFIED?
This isn't simply a nice to have, marketing exercise, we are committed to making real changes to the way we operate. For example, in order to complete the certification, our directors legally embedded their commitment to purpose beyond profit in the company articles.
Putting people and the planet above profits may not appear at first glance to be a recipe for financial success, but we believe becoming a Certified B Corporation is good for business and something that the furniture industry can play a big role in.
Our customers rightly demand the highest standards of environmental and social behaviour from their supply chain, so being able to provide measurable proof of our commitment in this area is important.
Likewise, we expect the same standards from our own supply chain and can support them better to deliver on those now.
Our colleagues also want to know that the company they work for will treat them with the highest levels of respect as employees.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Our staff are really proud to be working for a B Corp which has such a focus on making a difference, both locally and for the planet.
What we have learnt is that being a B Corp is not about standing out from the crowd. In many ways, it's actually the reverse, because we are now part of a global community of businesses committed to working in a more transparent and accountable way.
It's fair to say the furniture retail industry is not as well represented as it should be, given the impact we have and the role we can play on the nation’s sustainability agenda. So, one of our goals at Wellworking is to share our experience with other companies who might be asking the same questions we are about how to do business.
What we have realised is that becoming a B Corp is not the finish line. Instead, it’s the start of a programme of continuous improvement as to how we act as a company, how we treat our colleagues and customers, and the role we play in providing a more sustainable future for our planet.
SUSTAINABILITY
We are doing what we can to lessen our footprint on the planet and make sure our company is a good place to work.
We believe that quality, sustainability and commercial success are not mutually exclusive - instead they can coexist in a beneficial way.
The products we choose to stock are of a high quality and designed to last with long warranties to back this up. Many of these products are made from a high proportion of recycled material and their components are easily recyclable at the end of the product’s life.
We have also established our 'Greener Choice' badge to show which products are better for the environment.
We take away all the packaging when we deliver products and recycle as much as we can within our offices to reduce the waste that goes to landfill.
Our drive for sustainability is not just about protecting our environment though, we also want to make sure we give back to the community and be socially responsible.
We are an official Living Wage employer as we believe all our staff should be paid a salary they can actually live off. Our staff also choose a charity to support every year and take part in fundraising activities to raise money. For 2024 this is Mens Minds Matter, a suicide prevention and intervention organisation particularly focusing on men. We have supported many other charities over the years in our bid to make a difference to our communities.
OUR MAJOR SUPPLIERS & THEIR COMMITMENTS
It is important to us at Wellworking that the suppliers, manufacturers and brands we work with share our sustainability ideals and many have their own sustainability targets.
HERMAN MILLER
Herman Miller, as part of MillerKnoll, has committed to the environment with its 2030 Sustainability Goals which will underpin everything the company does. To help improve the health of the planet, the company commits to:
- Reduce its carbon footprint from the manufacture of its products and its operations by 50%
- Stop using single use plastics and substantially reduce other waste
- Use materials that that contain 50% or more recycled content and strive to use materials that are sustainably and responsibly sourced.
All of Herman Miller’s products are designed for durability with 12 year warranties and can be easily disassembled so the components can be reused, repaired, refurbished or recycled. All Herman Miller facilities use 100% renewable energy, and waste products such as wood and fabric are recycled to create new materials.
Herman Miller helped to create NextWave which is a group of companies committed to collecting ocean-bound plastic from rivers and coastal areas, recycling it and using it in products and packaging.
Each year their employees have a paid day off to allow them to vote and volunteer in their local communities.
VITRA
Vitra products are designed to endure so that they remain in use for as long as possible. Selected products have 10 or even 30 year warranties due to their high-quality design and premium materials.
When a product reaches the end of its usable life, the company offers take-back programmes so the products or their components can be repurposed, restored or recycled. By 2030, Vitra has committed to being a net positive company in terms of its ecological footprint and currently its production facilities only use electricity from hydropower and solar power.
Recycled raw materials are used wherever possible, such as the RE material which is made from recycled plastic waste collected from German homes.
FLOKK (INCLUDING HAG, RH, PROFIM, OFFECCT, CONNECTION, RBM & GIROFLEX)
Flokk is committed to being an environmentally conscious organisation by developing circular products, services and processes that have a minimal impact on the planet.
The company has set ambitious goals for 2030 around the use of energy and materials and aims to achieve these by using more renewable energy and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced and energy used during the production of products.
Flokk uses recycled plastic in its products as much as possible and is continually looking to increase this proportion to an average of 60% across all its products. The company was the first office chair producer to be ISO14001 certified in 1999, the international standard for environmental management.
Flokk’s circular design principals have five criteria with the aim of reducing each product’s impact on climate, resources and health. These are: low weight, few components, the use of recycled or renewable materials, a long life span, and designed for disassembly.
ELITE OFFICE FURNITURE
Elite Office Furniture is actively reducing its carbon footprint and impact on the environment with a continuous programme of initiatives.
In the last two years Elite has reduced its diesel emissions by 21%, its gas and electricity usage by 52% and its water usage by 27%. It has also sent zero waste to landfill.
The company's factory in Goole was designed to be one of the most sustainable manufacturing facilities in the UK, and includes a biomass boiler which uses all the wood off cuts from manufacturing to heat the building.
The site has its own water treatment plant and wind turbine.
As much as possible, sustainable or recycled materials are used to manufacture all products.