The B Corp certification is increasingly present in the fashion industry. Since the beginning of this movement in 2006, there have been many companies that have received this badge, recognizing their purpose of promoting an economy on a global scale where profitability coexists with social and environmental impact. If your fashion business has been looking to become B Corp certified for some time, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, you will discover how BCome can help your company to finally be recognized with the B Corp seal faster and without major complications.

Do you think your business meets the requirements to be included in the B Corp community? Do you want to join this movement that increasingly brings together more companies that are recognized as a force for good? Are you up to the standards of social, environmental, responsibility and transparency performance that are required of B Corps?

At BCome we know firsthand that these questions can be overwhelming. As a B Corp since 2021, we have gone through our own certification process and recognize that any help is welcome in demonstrating that your business is driven by the purpose of creating a positive impact on the environment, your workers, the community and, of course, on your customers.

30% of BCome clients have used data from our platform to achieve their B Corp certification

With the aim of putting our experience at your service and thanks to the rigor of our technology, we tell you how BCome can help your fashion business achieve B Corp certification more easily and efficiently, take note.

First step: Comprehensive evaluation of your company

The first step to becoming B Corp certified begins with evaluating your company. This involves analyzing the impact of your company in five different areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. 

Each area is organized by different themes that include different dimensions of impact. BCome’s technology will help you obtain information for each of these areas, however, where our solutions will provide greater value will be in environmental impact assessment. 

The B Corp certification evaluates the environmental performance of companies under a series of criteria that address several aspects of sustainability. These criteria are grouped into four main areas:

• Environmental impact. Evaluates the company’s impact on the environment, including the use of energy and natural resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, air, water and soil pollution, and waste management.
• Environmental management. It assesses how the company manages its environmental impact, including waste management and the conservation of energy and natural resources.
• Sustainable supply. Analyzes how the business manages its supply chain to promote sustainable practices, including material procurement and responsible supply chain management.
• sustainable innovation. Evaluates how the company fosters innovation and the development of sustainable solutions, including investing in sustainable technologies and promoting the circular economy.

In addition, each of these areas has several specific criteria that are used to study the environmental performance of the company.

The rigorous Life Cycle Assessment methodology offered by BCome can help your textile company achieve a better score in the environmental area of ​​your B Corp certification by providing a more complete and accurate view of the environmental impact of your products along their entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the distribution of finished items.

From an exhaustive traceability of your supply chain, BCome’s technology allows you to know the impact of each of your products through four essential environmental indicators:

• Water scarcity. Measures the potential for water deprivation due to its consumption throughout the product value chain.
• Global warming. This is the heat absorbed by any greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere at each stage of the chain.
• Eutrophication. Calculates the accumulation of phosphates and nitrates released in an ecosystem by the use of pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, and other chemicals.
• Abiotic depletion. It assesses the depletion of non-living (abiotic) resources, including oil, natural gas, and coal, used as energy carriers.

But that’s not all, in addition to calculating the environmental impact indicators for each of the evaluated products, BCome offers an additional feature: the possibility of comparing the results with the fashion industry standard. In this way, it’s possible to prove superior environmental performance during the B Corp certification process, which will allow you to differentiate yourself from the competition and show an outstanding commitment to sustainability.

Second step: Implementation of improvements

The evaluation is just the beginning. To obtain the B Corp certification, your company must obtain a minimum score of 80 points. It’s possible that after having audited your business, you have not reached the minimum score or that you want to go one step further and not settle for a simple approval. In that case, you will have to apply improvements to achieve a higher score.

To improve this qualification it will be crucial to have access to clear information regarding the starting point of the business. By having detailed data about your supply chain and your current practices, through the results provided by the BCome platform, you will be able to identify all opportunities for improvement and set clear objectives to achieve B Corp standards.

This can help you implement meaningful and sustainable changes in your company, not only to achieve certification, but also to improve reputation and long-term profitability. Therefore, collaborating with BCome and taking advantage of its Platform for Global Sustainability Management can be an incredibly valuable tool to take your company to the next level.

Third step: Submit your application to be a B Corp

Once you’ve made improvements to your company, it’s necessary to submit the application for B Corp certification. This application will involve a third-party audit that will evaluate the company’s performance against the certification standards.

In this step, the collaboration with BCome adds value, since this audit will also review the documentation provided by your company. Thanks to the collection of all the information on the BCome platform, access to this data will be immediate and up-to-date, which facilitates and speeds up the audit process by third parties.

Step Four: Keep your B Corp Certification

If your company has passed the certification requirements, congratulations, you can start proudly communicating that you are part of the B Corp community.

However, it’s important to note that this certification requires a strong and ongoing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. To keep B Corp status, companies that have passed the standard update their assessment and review their performance every three years. In this sense, BCome becomes the perfect partner to provide your company with all the information you need on the updated performance of your business.

To sum up, getting B Corp certified is a rigorous process that requires time and effort, but thanks to BCome’s technology, this path can be made easier and more efficient for fashion brands looking to earn this distinctive seal.

The impact assessment of your company is the main issue that BCome addresses with its technology, which allows obtaining a more complete and precise vision of the environmental footprint of your products throughout their entire life cycle. If you are committed to sustainability and are looking to create differential value for your fashion brand, try the solutions offered by BCome and join this community of B Corp companies that work to have a positive impact on the world.