What Is a B Corporation and How Do You Become One?
These days, there’s a whole lot of brands claiming to be ethical, green, or for the planet. But who’s actually walking the walk, and who just hired a copywriter to slap a few feel-good words on their packaging?
That’s where the B Corp certification comes in.
Certified B Corporations meet seriously high standards for social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. Getting certified means you’re committing to balance profit with purpose, and to running a business that makes a genuinely positive impact on the world.
At EarthWize, we’re currently going through the process (wish us luck), and we thought we’d break down what the B Corp status actually means, how the certification process works, and why it’s more than just a badge.
So, What Actually Is a B Corp?
Meet B Lab and B Lab Australia
A B Corp is a purpose-driven business that’s legally and operationally committed to creating positive change for people, communities, and the planet. Think of it as a triple bottom line model in action, with people, planet, and profit, all getting equal attention.
Certified B Corporations are verified by B Lab, the non-profit that built the framework and tools used for certification. Instead of just serving shareholders, B Corps make decisions that consider all stakeholders, including workers, customers, suppliers, local communities and the environment.
B Lab is the global body behind B Corp certification. They created the B Impact Assessment (BIA), which is the tool that companies use to measure their social and environmental impact.
In our neck of the woods, B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand supports local businesses through the certification process and helps build awareness of the B Corp community across the region. They’re the ones checking the receipts and keeping the standards high.
How Do You Become a B Corp?
To become a B Corp, your business must:
Complete the BIA, a free, comprehensive tool that scores your social and environmental impact.
Meet the minimum score of 80 out of 200 points, which might sound easy until you realise how rigorous the standards are.
Provide evidence to verify your answers and undergo a review by B Lab, including policies, reports, stats, screenshots, your third-grade report card (okay, not that).
Make a legal requirement change to your company structure, committing to consider all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
Sign the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence and pay the annual certification fee.
It takes a few months. And yes, it’s a lot of work. But that’s the point. The B Corp certification is for businesses serious about change, not those looking for a trendy marketing angle.
You’ll also need to recertify every three years, with proof that you’re improving over time.
What Is the B Impact Assessment (BIA)?
The BIA measures your social and environmental performance across five key areas. Here's the breakdown:
1. Governance
How do you run your company? The assessment checks your ethics, transparency, and how you bake impact into decision making. That includes internal policies and board-level oversight, not just promises on your website.
2. Workers
This one’s about how you treat your people. Think wages, health and safety, benefits, career progression, and general job satisfaction. Basically: do people actually like working for you?
3. Community
This looks at your social impact on the communities you work in, across things like supplier ethics, local hiring, inclusion, and charitable giving. Bonus points for supporting economic opportunity and equity.
4. Environment
This checks your environmental impact, including energy use, emissions, water consumption, waste management, and supply chain sustainability. You’ll need real data here, not just “we recycle sometimes.”
These four categories are then rolled into a fifth, Customers, assessing how the business considers consumer wellbeing and impact in their services or products.
Why Get B Corp Certified?
Besides being able to say you’re a part of the global B Corp community (which is very cool), there are plenty of benefits to certification:
It builds trust with customers looking for public transparency and proof you’re not just greenwashing.
It attracts better talent. People want to work for purpose-driven businesses who give a damn.
It helps you future-proof your operations as regulations and consumer expectations evolve.
It connects you with other businesses doing good, opening doors for collaboration, innovation, and a support network of people trying to change the system, not just work in it.
Some Aussie B Corps We Rate
Australia and New Zealand are home to a thriving B Corp scene. A few of our favourites include:
Ecostore, a business making plant-based cleaning and personal care products for your home.
Koala Eco, another maker of natural cleaning products that also offers refill options.
The Commons, a network of coworking spaces across Melbourne and Sydney, and home to many local B Corps.
Clothing the Gaps, a social enterprise dedicated to celebrating Indigenous Australian culture through clothing.
BioPak, leaders and innovators in compostable single-use packaging.
T2, a tea brand blending bold flavours with a strong commitment to sustainability.
Portable, a purpose-driven design agency using tech to create positive social change.
Think HQ, an inclusive communications agency driven by impact and meaningful storytelling.
PaperCut, a software company helping organisations reduce waste and print more sustainably.
These certified B Corporations are just some examples of organisations proving that business can be ethical, transparent, and successful all at once.
We’re In the Process of Becoming a B Corp
We’re currently going through the certification process ourselves, and the B Corp framework is helping us level up across the board. From the way we treat staff to how we source materials and track impact, the BIA has been a brilliant tool for accountability and reflection.
We’ll be sharing more once we’re officially certified — but in the meantime, if you’re a B Corp or B Corp-to-be looking for a socially responsible commercial cleaning partner, we’d love to connect. We’re here to help you keep things clean, literally, ethically, and sustainably.
