We sought a way to measure and verify what we did in order that we could give substance to our values. By applying a high degree of scrutiny to our work we aim to move beyond soundbites and make a real and positive impact. As a certified B Corp we are working towards a Triple Bottom Line (or Triple P) approach to business; People, Planet, Profit. Our goal is to balance our responsibilities to communities and the environment alongside our need to be commercially successful.
B Corp is a globally recognised platform that includes some of the world's most sustainable and recognisable brands. It seeks to independently assess the environmental and social impact of businesses to ensure that they act upon the values they seek to espouse.
In their words Certified B Corporations are "businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy."
Certifed BCorp businesses must score over 80 points in rigorously assessed categories and we are delighted to say that in June 2020 we passed with a score of 99.6, becoming one of the first coffee roasters in the UK to do so. This shows us where we did well but most importantly how we can improve for the future.
We believe that engaged and satisfied work teams make for happy and successful businesses. We involve our team in creating and delivering our values.
We are an accredited living wage employer and are committed to the training and development of our growing team.
We separate all our waste to maximise recycling.
By products of roasting are all recycled. The "chaff" is used as fertilizer, Grainpro bags used as bin bags and the jute sacks have a host of uses in the local community.
We use a hot composter, capable composting all our food waste and single-use cups.
Coffee continue to challenge a truly sustainable packaging solution. We were early adopters of the first recyclable bags available, while understanding their limitations. We are actively seeking better solutions into the future.
We have a range of coffees in fully reusable and recyclable aluminium tins.
Our coffee pods are fully home-recyclable.
Solar panels at our roastery contribute a significant amount of our electricity requirements.
We installed destratification fans in our roof-space to minimise heat waste.
By the summer of 2021, all of our company vehicles will be fully electric or hybrid.
We are committed to UN SDG climate goals.
We make cash donations to the local food bank.
Profits from Snowstone seasonal espresso and benefit events are donated to local charities.
We regularly donate profit from café events to local charities.
We donate coffee to Food Works in Sheffield (Food Works - air and sustainable food for Sheffield) and Love Toast in Leeds.
We only buy speciality grade coffee, bypassing the unjust, profit-driven commercial coffee market.
We build long-term relationships with the producers from whom we source - providing certainty and reassurance on prices we will pay.
An increasing proportion of our green coffee is sourced directly from producer organisations, e.g. Yemen, Panama, Ethiopia.
We have built strong relationships with a small number of speciality coffee importers (including other B Corps).
We participate in the Checkoff Programme - a percentage of green coffee purchases through participating importers is used to fund the World Coffee Research project.
We have funded community infrastructure projects in Peru, supporting communities from whom we source coffee. This Coffee Empowers Women.
We created an innovative NGO/private/Government partnership in Panama to deliver a community development programme.
We are committed to UN SDG poverty reduction goals.
Since our foundation we have offered discounted coffee prices to any certified not-for-profit organisation.
We have published commitment to donating 2% turnover annually to projects at home and abroad.
Our experience of becoming a certified BCorp helped us to re-evaluate our approach to sustainability. Rather than make isolated choices we are instead committed to a holistic analysis of our entire business model and supply chain and to developing strategies for improving. Moving forward we are committed to the following pledges:
Without a clear starting point it is impossible to see where and how we need to change. We will undertake a detailed study to work out what our current impact is; for example by calculating our carbon footprint.
We will work with our team to create ambitious goals to improve our business and our impact on the World, including a promise to reduce our carbon footprint year-on-year.
Ongoing analysis helps us see exactly the impact of our policies and whether we are meeting our targets. At least annually, we will carry out a detailed impact assessment to help us see how we are doing and where we need to improve.
We consider the impact - both positive and negative - of our entire business operation rather than cherry-picking the highlights and ignoring the areas that are tougher to deal with.
Being open to scrutiny means that we can move beyond tokenistic gestures and be held accountable for the choices we make.
© Darkwoods Coffee Ltd, 2024
