EcoPlum Sustainable Swag Lifts Off in 2022 as a Certified B Corporation

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- EcoPlum®, a sustainable promotional products company, announced today its certification as a B Corporation (B Corp) by nonprofit B Lab. EcoPlum joins a prestigious group of global companies meeting the highest standards for social and environmental performance, legal accountability, and public transparency.

B Corporations balance profit with purpose and are redefining what it means to be a successful for-profit enterprise. There are now over 4,600 Certified B Corporations around the world in 79 countries covering more than 155 industries. Some well-known B Corporations include Patagonia, Seventh Generation, Eileen Fisher, Athleta, Allbirds, Ben & Jerry's, Danone, and Burt's Bees.

EcoPlum succeeded in gaining certification after completing a rigorous review process and making changes to its legal structure. Only an estimated one-third (33%) to one-half (50%) of companies that apply for certification get certified. B Lab began certifying companies in 2006.

B Corp Certification is a designation that a business meets high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on many factors, such as input materials, supply chain practices, charitable giving, customer relations, and employee engagement. To achieve certification, a company must:

--Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing a risk review.

--Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.

--Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab's standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab's website.

On achieving this business milestone, EcoPlum President and CEO Gia Machlin, said,

"We are so proud to have the B Corp credential for our sustainable promotional products business, along with the authority it conveys for values-driven enterprises like ours, as we have always pursued a triple bottom line strategy focused on people, planet, and profit."

EcoPlum provides marketing services to the growing number of companies investing in sustainability and building out better Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. As a third-party credential, B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic is to milk.

"EcoPlum helps clients make environmentally conscious choices for their branded products and the B Corp credential is that extra seal of approval that they can rely on when choosing to do business with us," said Gia.

For EcoPlum and other mission-driven social enterprises, certification as a B Corp provides access and opportunity to align with a growing network of like-minded companies with similar ethical and social values. B Corps are building an innovative, inclusive new economy under new rules of corporate governance. They are asserting leadership globally as responsible corporate citizens committed to more than profit, but also to their communities, customers, workers, the environment, and to the planet.

EcoPlum received its B Corp certification from B Lab after exceeding the required score on its detailed B Impact Assessment, progressing through several phases that began with the initial submission followed by a rigorous and lengthy evaluation and verification review. B Corps create value for all their stakeholders and the Assessment is a dynamic template outlining the company's mission plus its current impact and engagement with those stakeholders. It is updated over time to use as a tool for setting goals and measuring progress.

EcoPlum also completed legal requirements for B Corp certification formalizing its social and environmental commitments. Amendments to its by-laws affirm that EcoPlum will consider the impact on all stakeholders (shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, community, and environment) in its decision making, in contrast to a traditional company's prioritization of shareholders. In addition, the company amended its New York state articles of incorporation and registered as a New York Benefit Corporation formed to create a "general public benefit" with a material positive impact on society and the environment assessed against a third-party standard.

About EcoPlum

EcoPlum Business Gifts offers branded marketing solutions with its Sustainable Swag® line of promotional products. EcoPlum curates best-in-class, eco-friendly gift items and customizes them for clients with their logos, taglines, or messages. We help companies make responsible choices on their branded gifts – a visible symbol of their values – with a goal of reducing plastic and harmful waste in our landfills and oceans. EcoPlum uses rigorous standards for ecological and social sustainability. Transparency is essential. Product sourcing criteria include USDA organic, fair trade, biodegradable, renewable, recycled, reusable, women/minority-owned, Made-in-the-USA, handcrafted or artisan, vegan, non-toxic, and third-party eco-labels (e.g. B Corp, FLA).

EcoPlum is a certified B Corp, WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) women-owned business enterprise, and Green America Gold Business. The company is a member of ASBC (American Sustainable Business Council), AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education), FLA (Fair Labor Association), PPC (Plastic Pollution Coalition), and ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute).

Sustainable Swag® solutions at EcoPlum.com, https://ecoplum.com. For more information: info(at)ecoplum(dot)com, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EcoPlum, LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecoplum, The EcoPlum Biz Blog, Twitter via @ecoplum, and Instagram via @ecoplum.

Media Contact

Marcia Robbins, EcoPlum, 1-888-730-9990, [email protected]

Gia Machlin, EcoPlum, 1-888-730-9990, [email protected]

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SOURCE EcoPlum