What is a BCorp?
A B Corporation (B Corp) is a certification for companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It signifies that a company is not just focused on profit but also on positive impact on society, workers, communities, and the environment.
To achieve B Corp status, companies undergo a rigorous assessment and must demonstrate commitment to balancing purpose and profit.
What does BCorp certification mean to us at Butternut Box?
Sustainability is part of who we are at Butternut. As a purpose-driven company, we know that we can’t be the industry leaders in Fresh dog and cat food without caring about our impact.
We also know that the only way to be successful for the long haul is by doing business in a way that considers the needs of all our partners - our customers, our squad, our communities, and of course, the environment.
Whilst we hold our paws up and acknowledge this is not something that can be achieved overnight, we are incredibly proud of the progress we have made so far and are committed to continually finding ways to improve.
Getting re-certified
We first certified as a B Corp in 2022. This year, we’ve now proudly re-certified with a score of 100.3 - an increase of 17.7 points.
It’s a big milestone, but recertification is about progress, not perfection. So we’re not stopping here. We’re focused on improving our impact and showing that you can grow a successful business and still do the right thing for people, for pets and for the planet.
Some highlights from 2024
Environmental Impact:
6.4% reduction in CO₂ emissions from our gas usage per kg of food produced.
90% of our waste was recycled or converted into biogas, that is over 3,000 tonnes.
109,252 kg of CO₂ emissions through our meals being delivered on all-electric vehicles.
Community and Charity Efforts:
We started funding a 2 year project with Dogs Trust helping to make Chonburi province in Thailand rabies-free.
We donated 56,366 meals to dogs in need, completed 1,532 hours of volunteering, and donated over £237,000 to our partner charities, almost double the amount we donated in 2023.
Future Goals:
We plan to continue our environmental and social efforts, including:
Putting in even more advanced energy recovery
technology into our new site in Poland, Sam’s Kitchen.
Expanding our lower-carbon meals in Europe.
Onboarding Sedex, a platform that helps us manage sustainability across our supply chain. Sedex is a key part of the onboarding and management of our suppliers.
As we grow, we’re committed to doing it the right way - for people, planet and pets.