“An extra lens to view our business operations” – Rip Curl’s Experience with B Corp Certification
As part of the B Corp movement, PAPER & PAGE is committed to transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. In the 🌏 B Corp Spotlight 🔦 series, we talk to other Certified B Corporations that are changing the rules of the game here in Southeast Asia.
Today, we interviewed Duncan Stewart, General Manager of Rip Curl Thailand, a retailer specializing in surfing sportswear and related products. Stewart discusses how pursuing the B Corp certification has reshaped their business, with a heightened focus on sustainability and social responsibility.
P&P: What motivated you to explore B Corp certification?
Duncan Stewart: We were looking for a certification that reflects our community, crew, and environment values. Moreover, we were looking for more than an accreditation that shows we have our procedures in place; as crucial as these are, we wanted to be part of something that provides us with a framework to build a specific type of culture around those values. Being a B Corp company places added emphasis and responsibility to create a company culture and environment that genuinely supports these values.
P&P: What internal changes did your company make to become certified?
DS: Being a B Corp company has changed our operations and added a new dimension. We need to emphasize waste tracking and reporting, waste reduction, and actively seek out circular solutions where waste is unavoidable.
Additionally, we have changed how we approach our energy consumption, placing more emphasis on renewable energy sources.
We have established a small team to manage our documentation, track our resource consumption and waste creation, and oversee the initiatives aimed at reducing our impact in these areas.
With a relatively large employee base having varied understandings of our B Corp goals, we realized the need for conducting training on B Corp and its principles. Developing a new training program to align with our B Corp objectives was a beneficial initiative.
P&P: How has B Corp benefited your company?
DS: B Corp has given us an extra lens to view our business operations. Instead of solely focusing on the profitability of our operations, B Corp has helped us comprehend the impact our operations have on the environment and the communities in which we operate. It has guided us in directing our energies towards areas where we can make the most positive impact on our crew, the environment, and local communities.
In a business sense, B Corp certification has enabled us to recruit and retain staff for longer periods, allowing us to redirect training funds from basic job training to higher value-added training for our staff. This has led to a more skilled workforce and increased engagement among our crew.
Operationally, B Corp has enabled us to reduce many of our wasteful business costs, thereby improving our bottom line. The overall impact of B Corp on our business has been positive.
P&P: How has the certification affected employee recruitment?
DS: Recruitment has become much easier since becoming a B Corp, but more importantly, we’ve observed our retention rate hovering close to 100%.
P&P: Has it changed the way you approach clients or consider vendors?
DS: Our vendor recruitment process is now much more stringent than before, taking into account the mechanisms our vendors have in place for environmental management, social compliance, and health and safety. We have collaborated with vendors to enhance these aspects of their business to ensure a minimum acceptable standard.
We find that the majority of our vendors are willing to make improvements to their operations to ensure business continuity with us. Additionally, we have noticed an improvement in the quality of their products, which, in turn, results in a better product for us as well.
P&P: Do you have any recommendations for other businesses looking to explore this certification?
DS: The B Impact Assessment covers all areas of your business and requires some time to complete. As a well-established business, we were not starting from scratch but still needed to review all our documentation, rewriting and improving where necessary. We also had to create clear processes where needed, starting from scratch.
I recommend that any business wishing to pursue B Corp certification establish structures, such as committees or work groups, to ensure the workload is managed as effectively as possible. Continuous improvement is fundamental to B Corp certification, making it more of a journey than a one-time certification to attain and maintain, although it is also that. Ensure you establish structures that facilitate this process.
Undoubtedly, there will be a paradigm shift in how you and your team approach all aspects of your business. Understanding your business’s current stage when undertaking the impact assessment will allow you to maximize the magnitude of the change your business is undergoing.
If you’re a B Corp operating in Southeast Asia, our readers want to know! Reach out to us via hello@paperandpage.com if you’re interested in being featured in our B Corp Spotlight series, so other businesses can learn how you’re changing the rules of the game.
