How proud we are! TIPTOE is certified B Corp™.
At TIPTOE, we regularly share with you our actions and commitment in terms of social and environmental responsibility. Today, we are celebrating the achievement of one of the most demanding labels in this field and we are taking another step towards our belief that a company should contribute positively to the world.
In this article, we tell you more about the B Corp certification process, what it means and why it’s important to us.
What is B Corp Certification?
B Corp is an international certification awarded to companies that meet high social and environmental standards and are committed to progress. B Corp stands for “Benefit Corporation” and designates a company that is recognized for its beneficial impact on the world. The certification covers 5 distinct areas: environment, governance, employees, customers and community.
This certification is granted to a limited number of companies after a long and thorough evaluation process.
How to become a B Corp?
With companies like Veja and Patagonia as role models, we have been seeking B Corp certification for several years and were already talking about it in 2016 shortly after we started.
In June 2021, we took the subject head on and began the certification process, which evaluates a company’s performance through 200 questions that require proof and justification. This will be an exciting and painstaking task, requiring us to take a critical look at our internal processes and gather information from our industrial partners all over Europe. For example, we ask them about the energy sources that power their factories, the amount of water used in their industrial processes, and the social policy in place at each of them. At the same time, this demanding approach strengthens the relationships of trust and transparency that we have built up with our partners over the years.
After several months of work to collect this information, gather the necessary evidence and answer the questions that emerge during the audits carried out by the B Corp team, the news is announced: TIPTOE is officially certified B Corp with a score of 90.6.
This score is the result attributed at the end of the evaluation process: a minimum of 80 is required to be B Corp certified, while the median score obtained by a company is 50.9 at the time of writing this article.
Why is it important for TIPTOE to be B Corp certified?
- Join the B Corp Movement
First of all, we are joining a movement of committed companies that are willing to question their impact at all levels. TIPTOE now has a duty to be exemplary and the B Corp certification is a guideline to continue to improve.
- Recognition of our efforts
Secondly, this label recognizes our commitment. Since the beginning of TIPTOE, we have voluntarily made bold and sometimes complicated choices: 100% European manufacturing, eco-designed, resistant and repairable products, materials chosen to control our environmental impact and which promote circularity, long-term collaboration with social partners, an obsession for quality and a sincere respect for our customers. The B Corp certification is a recognition of all the efforts undertaken over the years.
- A way to reaffirm our mission
Finally, B Corp is also a way to reaffirm the mission written into our company’s bylaws: to offer sustainable furniture while accelerating awareness of environmental issues in our industry and promoting a positive business model.
Today, more than ever, we are very happy to renew the environmental and social commitment that is the strength of TIPTOE and the pride of the team that works there.
“The B Corp label means a lot to the whole TIPTOE team! Firstly, we feel very proud to see our commitments being recognized by one of the world’s most demanding certification for social and environmental performance. Secondly, we’re grateful to join a movement of pioneering companies engaged in building better and fairer businesses. Above all, the B Corp label is a code of conduct that reinforces our commitment to keep building a virtuous company that positively contributes to the world.”
Vincent Quesada and Matthieu Bourgeaux, TIPTOE’s founders
