It's our B Corp birthday
It’s our B Corp birthday month! How time flies. Last September we achieved our B Corporation certification which recognises that we have met rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. We’re delighted to be part of a movement that has seen the number of B Corps in the UK grow from under 1,000 a year ago to 1,500 today.
Over the last 12 months we have been continuing our journey. Here’s how we are doing on ten key initiatives…
1 As part of a commitment to sourcing closer to home, Talking Tables is tracking at 39% from Europe, ahead of its year target of 36%.
2 We have achieved ‘First Mile Gold Status’ – which means we are recycling 80% of our waste at head office. We also hope to reduce water and energy usage at head office by 10% this year.
3 We have hit our reduction target for the use of single use plastic – coming in at 4% for the new autumn/winter collection.
4 As part of a move to use more recycled and upcycled materials, we have introduced recycled glass bud vases and also upcycled fabric bunting and Christmas ‘tinsel’. Our Indian supplier has set up a dedicated ‘upcycle studio’. It uses offcuts generated in its factory and 90% of the workers in the studio are rural women. Using upcycled material is a great way to reduce demand for virgin material and the carbon impact of products.
5 We have introduced a product guarantee for consumer customers. Called the Happiness Guarantee, it’s a commitment to making occasions special. If for any reason a customer feels their purchase didn’t brighten their gathering, Talking Tables will provide a free order of equal value.
6 We are supporting other B Corporations through joint collaborations across social channels. Recent hook ups include Charlie Binghams, Punchy Drinks and Noughty Wine.
7 We are extending the life of games via on pack messaging inviting players to pass them on once they have finished with them. We’re further supporting this by planting 10 trees with Ecologi when you take a game to a charity shop and post an image on social media.
Other areas of focus Talking Tables is working on this year include:
8 As we continue our net zero journey, we will be using new carbon measuring tools to understand the key levers of change we can implement to reduce the carbon impact of products.
9 We are supporting 200 community events via product donations and volunteering. Talking Tables’ community activity is based on extending the joys of gatherings to as many people as possible, especially those who may have less opportunity to get together. For example, we work at a national level with Re-engage, the charity committed to bringing the socially isolated elderly together via tea parties, and locally with the Lifeline group, hosting parties at head office for its members. We also donate ‘birthday boxes’ to foodbanks.
10 Also in terms of social impact; Talking Tables is looking to continue its Great Place to Work status which will involve passing an independent staff survey this autumn. We are also holding its third inclusivity month in October around Black History month. Every quarter Talking Tables puts the spotlight on one of our communities via a series of team led activities. The purpose is to both celebrate and increase understanding, and previous events this year have revolved around carers and LQBTQ+.
Our founder Clare Harris says: “I wish to do business in the best way I can and the B Corp structures immediately resonated with my values. When out shopping for myself or the business I now gravitate to those products with a B Corp logo so that I give my spending pennies to brands who also seek to do business in a better way.”
