Considering B Corp certified companies and brands when you shop can be beneficial to you and the world. Not only are you purchasing something you need or want, but you are also supporting a business that is having a positive impact.
When you need groceries, are shopping online or looking for a gift for someone special, the Find a B Corp search tool is a great place to start. You can filter the 9000+ B Corps by location, ownership, size and area of business. Here are some of our favorites.
Food items
Who’s got the cleanest, greenest snacks on the planet? Alter Eco Foods is dedicated to that goal. They use organic chocolate that regenerates the ecosystem, empowers farmers and reverses climate change. In addition, they embrace Fair Trade sourcing, organic and non-GMO ingredients, and their chocolate is delicious! Not only is it tasty, but they offer a very creative collection of flavors. Fun fact: their truffle wrappers are compostable!
When you hear King Arthur, do you think of flour or the Knights of the Round Table? King Arthur Baking is much more than flour. They are committed to using business as a force for good, supporting its community of bakers, employee-owners, and farmers while caring for the planet for future generations.
As their website beautifully states, “From pursuing regenerative farming practices to supporting historically underserved communities and so much more, we are committing ourselves to bettering the world of baking. And we invite everyone into the kitchen to join us. Because together, we’ll let good rise.”
With the belief that happy cows result in high-quality ingredients for their yogurt products, Stonyfield Farm or Stonyfield Organic works with local, organic, “happy” farmers. They have been in the business for 40 years, creating wholesome yogurt choices for all ages. In addition, they provide recipes (including desserts!) that substitute yogurt for less healthy ingredients. With a B Corp overall score of 93.1 (as compared with ordinary businesses’ score of 50.9), they are most definitely working toward a better future.
Clothing
We may take for granted that we have clean socks and underwear available when needed. Bombas understands that for many, unfortunately, that is not always the case. So, they joined with their customers and giving partners to donate Bombas clothing to those who are in need. But they don’t create any old underwear. Bombas products come with a 100% happiness guarantee of both quality and comfort. Customers can feel good when they wear Bomba items and know that they are helping others. Tip: If you get on their mailing list, they usually offer a sale once a year before Christmas.
Knowing that the fashion industry overall can be wasteful with material, energy and pollution, Happy Earth Apparel chooses to be different. They use only sustainable materials, work with Fair Trade-certified factories, and choose low-energy options for producing and shipping. Customers help Happy Earth with their goal, “Planet Over Profit.” Each purchaser can select either to have one pound of trash cleaned up, have 150 pounds of greenhouse gases averted or have five trees planted.
Not only does Patagonia make quality clothing and outdoor accessories, but they also founded the 1% for the Planet alliance (see other article) of like-minded businesses. Patagonia and others have pledged to contribute 1% of sales to grassroots environmental groups around the world. In an effort to reduce the volume ending up in landfills, they invite customers to trade in their used clothing and gear (that has some life left) for credit towards a future purchase. The traded-in gear is even resold through their website. Patagonia also has online help to repair and care for gear, so it lasts as long as possible.
Miscellaneous
Many companies produce branded swag/giveaways/promotional merchandise. But Brand Fuel took it a step further and asked, what if branded merch was a force for good? So, they decided to focus on quality, branded merchandise that lasts. Merch that
- Is on-time. On budget. And on-brand.
- Is high-quality and safe.
- Impacts the world in a positive way.
Brand Fuel does this while being a good steward of its industry and communities. They are very proud of their B Corp status, not just for the products, but also for how they treat their employees and the company’s philosophy. Notable: If you subscribe to its monthly newsletter, there is a fun online contest, and they award their merchandise as a prize.
