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What is B Corp and why is it important?
As the category leader in the menstrual care industry, Diva International Inc., makers of the DivaCup, are doing something revolutionary.
Becoming a certified B Corporation was the next step for a company that is viewed as one that challenges the status quo by redefining the experience of menstruation, with comfort, health and sustainability in mind.
B Corp certification is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.
B Corp is important for DivaCup because as a leader in the menstrual cup category and key player in the menstrual movement, we have a responsibility to you (our community) and the planet to be the absolute best. B Corp gives us the platform to be transparent and accountable. We have been doing the right things for a while, but now we have the ability to demonstrate it and something keeping us accountable to ensure we keep doing the good work we are doing.
Who is Diva as a B Corp?
With over 2400 B Corps, spanning across 50 countries and 140 industries, B Corps meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. As a B Corp, Diva International Inc. is more than a business. We are part of a global movement of like-minded people who are using business as a force for good™. Being a B Corp is not only about being the best in the world, but also the Best for the World®.
We encourage and mobilize change from within our organizational walls.
“Being part of a global movement of purpose-driven companies that are changing the world, is our vision for Diva. This is why we voice environmental sustainability through both our product and our own company standards.”
–Carinne Chambers-Saini CEO and Co-Founder Diva International Inc.
What is a B Corp?
Think of it this way. Being B Corp Certified is like receiving a Fair Trade certification but for the whole business, not just a bag of coffee. B Corps must adhere to higher standards of how business is done. Performance is measured through a comprehensive auditing process that evaluates a company’s impact on all its stakeholders (e.g. workers, suppliers, community, customers and the environment).
Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on their shareholders, but also on their stakeholders. The B Impact Assessment looks at Governance, Workers, Customers, Community and Environment.
When does B Corp accountability take a rest?
Easy answer: it doesn’t. As a Certified B Corporation, the accountability and practice of certification never takes a break. It is not a sometimes, or quarterly initiative, it is an everyday thing. Considering the impact of our decisions and how they will influence everyone, and everything, is top of mind.
Where are these ‘B Corps’?
B Corps are all around us, in over 50 countries around the world. They represent a variety of industries (over 140) who together are leading a global movement and call to action for businesses to be the best they can for the world. Chances are you have a B Corp near you or that some of brands you love (like the DivaCup) are a Certified B Corporation. Since B Corps keep “good” company with other B Corps, the change we seek® can be seen everywhere.
Certified B Corporations are committed to ensuring that everything we do meets the highest standards of verified performance, transparency, and accountability. We are not in this alone, over 2,400 like-minded businesses are doing the same thing and helping to keep each other accountable. It is about a collective impact doing good, helping to make everything better for everyone involved.
Why did Diva want this certification?
We became a Certified B Corporation because we’re doing something revolutionary. If you’re a DivaCup user, you’re no stranger to the fact that we are challenging the status quo and have found a better way to care for your period. Not only are we a leader within the category, but we feel a sense of responsibility to take that further. And more importantly, this translates into empowerment for society, the environment, individuals within our organization and of course, all who experience a period.
How does B Corp come into play?
Diva International Inc. was certified by the non-profit B Lab which helps businesses meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good™. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World® and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity.
To become a Certified B Corporation an organization needs to complete the B Impact Assessment and earn a minimum score of 80 out of 200. If a score of 80 or higher is achieved, an organization is then required to undergo an audit of the assessment. This comprehensive audit evaluates impact in terms of governance, workers, consumer, community and environment. The measure of impact was developed by an independent, third-party Standards Advisory Council. After the audit, an organization must sign the B Corp Declaration of Independence and Term Sheet. While this may seem as the last step in the certification process, it is really just the beginning of the B Corp journey.
B Corps must continue to practice out this commitment to be better in everything they do, every day.
