UK-based bed and mattress maker Naturalmat has become a B Corp business.
Naturalmat’s accreditation for the B Corp movement, which comprises companies certified to be meeting high standards related to environmental, social, and governance factors, was announced in B Corp Month.
Those behind the B Corp initiative use the month of March every year to highlight businesses doing good and to raise awareness of their work. Green Retail World has been highlighting other new B Corps this month, including outdoor equipment retailer Berghaus, reusable nappy brand Bambino Mio, and spectacle maker Cubitts.
Naturalmat’s entry on the official B Corporation website says “sustainability has been a core part of their ethos right from day one”.
It notes that the business, which was founded in Devon, where it is still headquartered, in 2000, has “always sourced the finest materials from renewable sources, pioneered innovative, plastic-free packaging”, while also running its operations on 100% renewable energy since 2012.
In addition, the organisation’s mattress refurbish service called the ‘Mattress for Life Initiative’ has been designed to reduce tonnes of landfill waste.
In order to become a B-Corp business, a company must demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above – certified by an organisation called B Lab.
Accredited companies will also make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, while also comitting to transparency by allowing verified information about their performance to be publicly available on their official B Corp profile.
Mark Tremlett, founder of Naturalmat, said: “It feels truly rewarding to be recognised as the ethical business we’ve always strived to be and join this powerful global community of organisations working together for a better tomorrow.
“We started off making mattresses for boats with natural and breathable materials, eventually expanding into organic, chemical-free mattresses for babies and adults, championing safe and healthy sleep for everyone. Over the next few years we made every effort to grow as a force for good.”
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
