People & Planet

People & Planet

• Prioritize: We prioritize people & the planet in our decision making

• Purpose: Our purpose / mission statement includes social and environmental goals

• Communicate: We communicate about how we benefit people & the planet to customers, workers, suppliers, and the general public

• Measure: We measure what matters. We monitor our benefit to people & the planet and share the results at least once a year

• Certify; We verify benefit to people and the planet through external verification or third-party certification

 

Ownership

• We are registered as an organization

• Shareholders: We are a family business with a purpose-driven structure

Revenue

• Self Sustaining: We have a strategy for financial sustainability

• Services: We use a percent of profits to provide services to workers, suppliers or communities

• Cause: We donate a percent of profits to a social or environmental cause on a regular basis

 

Environment

 

Product Impact

• Environmental Benefit: We are working hard to ensure all the products and services we carry out are developed to directly benefit the environment.

  • Substitute for plastic or fossil fuel based products

  • Waste reduction

  • Awareness, education, and action

• Product Impact: That the products are developed to minimize environmental impact

  • Made from recycled pre-consumer waste

  • Made from 100% plant-based, renewable materials

  • Materials harvested or collected from a sustainably managed source

  • Compostable. Product decomposes with no toxic residue

• Packaging: We prioritise the listing of products where the brand owner seeks to ensure they minimize environmental impact in

  • Recyclable in at least 80% of communities with recycling facilities

  • No polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, pthalates or bisphenols

  • Chlorine-free unbleached paper

  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper

  • Plant-based ink

  • Made from recycled material

Operations

• Supplies: We use environmentally responsible supplies in our facilities

  • Natural biodegradable cleaning supplies

  • Office paper and office supplies made from recycled materials

  • Unbleached and chlorine-free paper products

  • Washable and reusable cups, dishes and cutlery

  • Sustainably sourced promotional materials. No signs made from polystyrene or polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

  • No plastic drinking straws

• Waste Sorting: We have a solid waste management plan and separate our solid waste at all facilities

  • Paper and cardboard recycled or composted

  • Plastic waste recycled

  • Glass waste recycled

  • Metal waste recycled

  • Batteries, paint, light bulb, and other hazardous waste sent to specialized waste management service

• Waste Monitoring: We monitor and record solid waste disposal and have reduction targets

• Energy Reduction: We have taken steps to reduce our energy use

  • Signs for workers and visitors

  • Worker training and incentives

  • Use of natural lighting during daylight hours

• Energy Monitoring: We monitor and record our energy use and have reduction targets

• Transport Energy:

We have taken steps to reduce our use of fossil fuels for transport

• Virtual meeting technology used to reduce travel requirements

• Logistics software used to increase transport efficiency and minimize fuel usage

• Low-impact transport options (e.g. public transport, sea shipments) used for transport, supply chain and distribution

• Hybrid and electric vehicles used for transport, supply chain and distribution

Customers

 

Purpose

• Affordable: We focus on providing products and services that are accessible to low-income groups

• Purpose Oriented Customers: We focus on serving or supplying organizations that prioritize people and the planet

Service

• Responsive: We have systems in place to rapidly respond to customer questions and feedback

• Customer Relationships: We have services that extend customer relationships beyond a single transaction

  • Maintenance, repairs and upgrades

  • Loyalty programs for regular customers

  • Subscription or membership service

• Customer Accessibility: We have taken special steps to make our products and services accessible to customers with disabilities

Health & Choice

• Healthy Lifestyle: We focus on promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles

• Organic: We use organic certified ingredients or materials

• GM: We can ensure our products do not contain genetically modified ingredients or materials

• Nano: We can ensure our products do not contain synthetic nanoparticles

• Toxicants: We can ensure no toxicants are used in our products, packaging, or production process

  • Paraben free

Transparency

• Transparent Pricing: Our pricing is public and transparent with no hidden costs

• Cost-Based Pricing: We adjust our prices based on costs. We pass on savings to customers

Workers

 

Inclusion

• Women: We provide equal opportunities for women and actively remove barriers to participation

• Mothers: We have taken special steps to accommodate and support pregnant and nursing mothers

• Accessibility: We have taken special steps to ensure accessibility for workers or members with disabilities

• Discrimination & Harassment: We have policies and procedures to prevent, report & respond to discrimination and harassment

Benefits

• Pay: We have paid workers

• Equal Pay: We provide equal pay for equal work. We set wages based on performance, not gender or other social categories

• Living Wage: We pay wages that enable all workers to live comfortably within the community

• Pay Ratio: We have a pay ratio of less than 5 to 1. Our highest paid worker earns no more than 5 times our lowest paid worker

• Benefits: We provide benefits to workers beyond what is required under labour laws

  • Health insurance

  • Pension or retirement plans

  • At least 12 weeks paid maternity leave

  • At least 2 weeks paid paternity leave

  • At least 1 month notice or severance pay

• Training: We offer training and personal development opportunities to workers or members

  • Job-related technical training

  • Soft skill or life skill training

  • Social or environmental awareness programs

Health & Safety

• Working Conditions: We provide safe and healthy working conditions for all workers

  • Water: Clean drinking water

  • Sanitation: On-site toilets and washing facilities

  • Ergonomics: Tools and work stations that prevent pain and injury

  • Lighting: Adequate lighting with as much natural lighting as possible

  • Air: Fresh air and adequate ventilation

• Safety: We have taken steps to prevent accidents and ensure worker health and safety

  • Data: We maintain data on accidents and work-related health issues and share it with all workers

  • Procedure Training: We train workers that use equipment or machinery and workers that are in contact with hazardous materials on proper health and safety procedures

  • Signs: We post signs in workers’ primary language near equipment and hazardous materials that explain proper procedures and potential hazards

  • Protective Gear: We ensure that workers who use equipment or machinery or are in contact with hazardous materials wear appropriate protective gear

  • Inspections: We conduct inspections at least once a year to ensure workers are using correct protective gear and operating procedures for health and safety

  • Maintenance: We check and maintain equipment and machinery at least once a year to ensure worker health and safety

  • Emergency Plan: We have identified all potential hazards and prepared emergency response plans

  • Emergency Drills: We have drills to test emergency response plans at least once a year

  • Accident Insurance: We have accident insurance to cover accidental events and emergencies

  • First Aid Training: We train workers in basic first aid

  • Fire Safety Training: We train workers in fire safety and basic fire fighting equipment

  • Safety Equipment: We ensure first aid and safety equipment are easily accessible and regularly maintained

Participation

• Ideas: Our systems enable workers or members to share ideas, feedback, and suggestions

• Influence: Our systems enable workers or members to influence organizational decision making

  • Special events

  • Procedures and policies

  • Resource allocation

• Information: We share information with workers or members at all levels

  • Social and environmental impact reports

Suppliers

 

Sustainable Sourcing

• Sustainability Criteria: We have social and environmental criteria for suppliers and service providers

  • Living Wage: We ensure suppliers and service providers pay at a rate that provides a living wage and sustainable livelihood

  • Working Conditions: We ensure that suppliers and service providers maintain safe and healthy working conditions

  • Environmentally Responsible: We ensure that suppliers and service providers follow environmental best practices

  • Voluntary: We ensure no forced labor, compulsory labor, prison labor, or child labor is used

  • Local: We prioritize local suppliers and service providers

  • Small-Scale: We prioritize small-scale suppliers and service providers

  • Organic: We source from organic producers

  • Certification: We source from suppliers and service providers with third-party social or environmental certification

  • Mission Locked: We prioritize social enterprise and not-for-profit suppliers and service providers

• Disadvantaged Supplier: We preferentially select suppliers and service providers from disadvantaged groups

  • Women

  • Minorities

  • Other marginalised groups

Fair Trade Relationships

• Relationships: We maintain fair trade relationships with all suppliers and service providers

  • Long-Term: We maintain long-term relationships with suppliers and service providers

  • On-Time Payment: We ensure that suppliers and service providers are paid at the agreed time

  • Fair Price: We pay prices that cover all costs and support socially and environmentally responsible operations

  • Capacity Building: We offer training and capacity building to suppliers and service providers

• Ethical Practice: We focus on innovation, creating value, and supporting other purpose-driven organizations. We do not engage in anti-competitive or unethical practices.

  • Copying: We do not copy competitors

  • Dumping: We do not sell products at a loss to force competitors out of the market

  • Price Fixing: We do not collude with competitors to fix prices

  • Libel: We do not spread false information about competitors

  • Exclusive Agreements: We do not restrict suppliers or customers from selling to or buying from others

Transparency

• Source: We know where all our ingredients, materials or products are sourced from

• Promotion: We highlight our suppliers and service providers in our promotional materials

Community

 

Impact

• Good Citizen: We comply with all applicable laws and pay all required taxes

• Social Benefit: Our products and services were specifically developed to contribute to society. We provide broader social benefits that go beyond the benefits to individual customers

  • Social inclusion

  • Public health

Local Economy

• Local Economy: We focus on contributing to the local economy

Engagement

• Community: We engage with the local community

  • Volunteer: We help our workers or members volunteer and engage in community service

• Networks: We participate in membership organizations and networks working for social or environmental change