It’s in everything we do

Print Solutions Green Solutions

Foilco, leading manufacturer and supplier of stamping foils, has hit the gold standard of environmental and social care and is certified as a B Corporation, validating its position as a company that puts sustainability firmly at the heart of the business.

Certified B Corporations, like Foilco, work to promote social and environmental change through positive business practices. The company’s mission is to create and develop a sustainable and quality service for its customers. By gaining the highly regarded B Corp certification, it is seen to be truly walking the walk and truly achieving the best. Here, Paul Hornby, CEO, explains why being B Corp certified is much more than another step in its environmental journey, and just what it means to his company.

The three ‘Ps’

People ask what is B Corp? The simple answer is the three ‘Ps’.

People: this focuses mainly on employee welfare including diversity, inclusion, safe working conditions and positive contributions to people in the local community.

Planet: this focuses mainly on sustainability including monitoring your carbon footprint, reduction of your c a r b o n footprint, waste reduction, using renewable energy where possible, and sourcing suppliers with a view to minimising emissions.

Profit: in order to be able to do the other two Ps your business must also do well financially. Without profits, a business will struggle to maintain a continued improvement plan for the other two Ps.

However, B Corp is much more than just those three Ps. It is a community of like minded people, business owners, managers, employees who have a common goal to make the world a better place.

This can be done in many ways and takes many forms but at Foilco we have introduced the following initiatives.

Wellbeing committee

The wellbeing committee is made up of one employee per department. It cannot be a manager or director. These people speak to everyone in their department to gain suggestions of what would make their working environment a better place. These suggestions are then discussed in a monthly meeting and put forward for approval to the senior managers and directors at a quarterly wellbeing meeting. Ideas can be as simple as asking for a fruit basket to be delivered once a week to ensure that everyone has a good diet or to more complex ones such as a bigger and better canteen.

As well as this, the committee organises activities throughout the year with employees with at least two including their partners so that everyone feels more included.

The committee also discuss in the monthly meetings any charitable requests to help in an activity or make a donation. The committee votes on these and decides what should be done. This can involve litter picking in the local area, working evenings or weekends at a charity or taking part in sponsored events to raise funds for specific charities.

Better supplier engagement programme

Not all of our suppliers are B Corp and we do not insist that they become B Corp to continue to supply us. However, we do tell them that we expect them to follow the basic principles of the B Corporation by looking after their employees and make a continual improvement plan to lower their carbon emissions.

Not everyone can be a B Corp. It takes time and commitment to be accredited. However, everybody should take a look at what B Corp stands for and do their bit to move towards these standards. If we all just took one or two things from the B Corporation principles then the world would be a better place.

If your first question when looking at whether to become B Corp is ‘will I make more money by being B Corp certified?’, then this is not for you.

As a business owner you will be happier knowing that you are doing the right thing. You will feel better when you come into work each day knowing that your employees are happier. If this is what you want, then B Corp is for you.

Within a year of becoming certified you might find that your productivity increases because your employees are in a better place. You are able to recruit more easily as more people want to work for B Corps knowing that best practices are in place. The quality of goods that you are getting from suppliers will improve because you are sourcing from better suppliers or helping to improve your current ones.

The aim of B Corporation, which will happen once there are enough of us in the world, is that where possible B Corps should buy from fellow B Corps. As a B Corp we know that fellow B corps are doing the right thing and therefore why should we not help each other and make each other stronger. It also gives a positive message to your customers that the production of the finished article has been tracked throughout the production process. The stronger the B Corp movement is, the more profitable all companies will become and then the final ‘P’ comes into effect.

Do these things right and profits will naturally grow. Therefore, my original statement of do not choose to become a B Corp to make more money, is true, but as a B Corp you will. However always remember that is not why you are doing it.

B Corps strive for profit, purpose and promoting positive change in their industries and communities. Foilco joins more than 10,000 Certified B Corporations in more than 100 countries and over 150 industries.

Foilco has been a B Corp for three years and continues its proud journey. It feels that it is within the company’s interest to do what is right for the print and packaging industry, but it is also its mission to do what is best for its people and the planet too.