What is Corporate Social Responsibility in Business and How Do You Get It Right? 

Once upon a time, profit was the only thing a business had to worry about. Now, not so much. With rising awareness around climate change, social inequality, and ethical employment, people are asking better questions: How’s your business impacting the planet? Are you treating your people fairly? Are you actually doing anything good, or just saying you are?

That’s where corporate social responsibility (CSR) comes in. It’s a big term, but the idea is simple — your business operations should make a positive impact on society and the environment, not just your bottom line. Here’s a bit more on what it means, why it matters, and how to do it properly.

What is Social Responsibility in Business?

Corporate social responsibility means running your business in a way that actively benefits people and the planet. Not just ticking compliance boxes or donating once a year, it’s about building ethics into your business model and taking accountability for your impact on society.

CSR usually covers four main areas:

  • Environmental responsibility – Think cutting greenhouse gas emissions, using less plastic, reducing waste, and protecting ecosystems.

  • Ethical responsibility – Paying fairly, treating workers with respect, and making decisions based on values, not just margins.

  • Philanthropic responsibility – Giving back to communities through donations, volunteering, or partnerships with purpose-led orgs.

  • Economic responsibility – Running your business transparently, paying your fair share, and operating in a way that supports long-term sustainable development.

Together, these pillars help guide ethical business operations that make money and do some good along the way, too.

CSR and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) go hand in hand, but they’re not the same thing. CSR is all about what you do to create a positive impact, based on your values. ESG is how you measure that impact. Think of CSR as the action plan, and ESG as the report card.

Why CSR is Now a Business Essential 

These days, people can sniff out a performative brand from a mile away. If your business isn’t actually doing anything to help people or the planet, they’ll clock it and move on.

On the flip side, building real CSR into your business helps you:

  • Win over customers who care about sustainable development and environmental issues

  • Attract employees who want to work somewhere with a positive purpose

  • Impress investors looking for long-term stability and good governance

  • Sleep better at night (optional but recommended)

Also, doing good just feels good.

How EarthWize Walks the Talk

CSR isn’t something we dust off when the time suits. At EarthWize, it’s baked into how we clean, how we hire, how we grow, and how we challenge a pretty stale industry to do better.

Here’s what it looks like in action:

1. People-First Hiring

We hire people who’ve been sidelined by traditional employment systems, like older workers, migrants, and the long-term unemployed. Then we pay them fairly (above award, always), train them properly, and treat them like humans, not numbers.

2. Sustainable Practices

Cleaning services don’t need to leave behind a trail of pollution. We use chemical-free cleaning solutions like Tersano SAO: a product that transforms plain tap water into a powerful sanitiser. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, avoids plastic waste, and eliminates toxic chemicals from waterways. 

3. Purpose-led partnerships

With a 100% client retention rate and glowing reviews, we’ve proven that when you lead with ethics and deliver the goods, people stick around. Our business runs on trust, honesty, and real relationships (with a side of sparkling surfaces).

CSR Isn’t Just What You Do

Your CSR game is only as strong as your supplier list. If your office claims to care about the environment but uses toxic cleaners and banks funding the fossil fuel industry, we’ve got questions.

When you partner with socially responsible businesses, whether it’s your office cleaners, IT providers, or food suppliers, you amplify your impact. You’re supporting employment pathways, reducing your emissions, and making better choices on waste, packaging, and more.

Here are some practical ways different types of businesses can advance CSR by choosing the right partners:

  • A law firm could work with a socially responsible catering company that sources local, organic produce and employs people from marginalised backgrounds

  • A tech company could choose cloud service providers that power their data centres with 100% renewable energy.

  • A retailer could switch to suppliers that use ethical labour practices, recycled packaging, and carbon-neutral delivery.

  • An events business could work with venues and vendors that prioritise accessibility, low waste, and community involvement.

  • A commercial office space could hire a sustainable cleaning company (like us!) to reduce pollution and chemical exposure while supporting fair work.

  • Any business could bank with a financial institution that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels, or choose a printer that uses carbon-neutral paper and low-VOC inks.

These decisions might seem small on their own, but collectively they help build a network of businesses working together to reduce harm and increase positive impact.

If you’re working under a social procurement or CSR initiative, or you're building out your sustainability strategy, partnering with ethical suppliers is one of the most effective (and immediate) things you can do.

One better choice won’t save the world. But a hundred of them might.

Be the Business People Want to Work With (And For)

What is social responsibility in business? It’s doing business like it matters. Like people matter. Like the planet matters. And yeah, like your bottom line still matters, but it’s not the only thing on the table.

At EarthWize, we’re here to prove that even something like cleaning — something most people don’t think twice about — can be a force for good. When you treat your workers fairly, clean without chemicals, and build relationships based on trust and transparency, you can create a real impact. 

If you want a partner who takes corporate social responsibility as seriously as you do, we’re ready.