We’ve Been B Corp Certified Since 2017

I’m sure we’ve all come across companies that post about being B Corp Certified, or we’ve seen the B Corp logo out there in the wild. But if you’re like a lot of people you might wonder “what does being a B Corp actually mean?”

Think of a B Corp certification as a stamp of approval that says a business actually cares about people, the planet and doing the right thing, not just making money.

In this blog, we’ll chat all about the B Corp certification process, the B Lab who assesses and scores brands, and share what OLLY has done to become certified and improve our score.

What does it mean to be B Corp certified?

When a company is B Corp certified, it means they’ve gone through a pretty rigorous process to prove they’re balancing purpose and profit. These companies are legally required to consider how their decisions affect their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.¹ So, it's not just about “doing good” on the surface, it’s integral in how they operate.

The B Lab

All of this is handled by a nonprofit called B Lab.¹ B Lab created the B Corp framework and they’re the ones who assess whether companies really do what they say they do. They’re strict, but in the best way possible.

How to Get Certified

To become a B Corp, a company has to complete the B Impact Assessment (BIA), which measures performance across five impact areas.¹ You need a minimum score of 80 out of 200 to qualify, which is no easy feat, and most companies don’t pass on the first try.¹

After that, B Lab reviews your answers, checks documentation, and may request interviews to verify everything. And it isn’t just a one-time thing, recertification is required every 3 years, with updated standards to make sure companies keep improving and stay true to their mission.¹

The 5 Impact Areas That Are Scored

1. Governance: Is the company transparent? Are their values built into how the company is run?

2. Workers: How well are employees treated? Think benefits, wages, training, health & safety.

3. Community: Do they support local businesses? Are they diverse and inclusive? Are they giving back?

4. Environment: What’s their environmental footprint? Are they minimizing waste, using renewable energy, offsetting carbon?

5. Customers: Are they making products/services that benefit society? Are they ethical in how they treat customers?¹

Each section is scored, and the total must add up to at least 80 to qualify. However, a company doesn’t have to be super active or strong in every single category to qualify. They may choose to focus more heavily on the areas where they naturally shine.

So long story short:

Yes, you have to go through all 5 categories.
No, you don’t have to be amazing in all 5.

You need to show you're doing meaningful good somewhere and not causing harm elsewhere.

OLLY’s High Standards & High Score of 97.1

OLLY proudly recertified as a B Corporation for the third time in 2024 and increased our score by 20%. This is a huge increase in such a short amount of time, and a lot of that can be attributed to OLLY’s new environmental program.

Since late 2022, we’ve been putting in serious work behind the scenes to level up its environmental program ahead of B Corp recertification.

First, the team figured out exactly where they stand by calculating their full carbon footprint for 2022. Everything from raw materials and packaging to factory energy use, shipping, employee commuting, and more. That gave OLLY a solid baseline to measure future progress.

Then in 2023, we laid out a plan to start cutting those emissions by 2030. The focus? The big stuff, like how products are made, what materials we use, how to reduce plastic, improve packaging, and make distribution more efficient.

OLLY is digging into every part of the business to shrink their footprint and do things more sustainably.

The Future Looks Renewable

OLLY publicly committed to science-based targets in January 2024. Science-based targets are basically emission reduction goals that a company commits to making. We set a highly ambitious 1.5˚C level and a roadmap for how we plan to get there by 2030.

OLLY’s areas of emission reduction focus looking to 2030 include:

OLLY’s 2023-2025 $1.55 Million commitment to radically prioritizing mental wellbeing in the workplace and community is also on track, including working with foundations such as SeekHer, The Loveland Foundation & Project Healthy Minds.

Why This All Matters

The B Corp certification process is honestly a great way to separate the companies that are actually doing the work from the ones that just slap “sustainable” or “ethical” on their website. If you see that little B logo on a product, you know it’s been through a real process, not just marketing fluff.

So yes, B Corp is a way for companies to actually walk their talk, but it’s also a way for businesses to do better, for themselves, consumer and the world at large. By choosing B Corps, you’re supporting everything from environmental initiatives and human rights work to mental health & well-being programs for communities all over the world. Not only are B Corps doing better business, but you’re doing better as a consumer by choosing companies who care.