Travel retail tech brand Bitmore underlines sustainability focus with achievement of coveted B-Corp status

Consumer technology and accessories brand Bitmore has become one of the first travel retail-focused businesses to achieve the prestigious B Corporation (B-Corp) certification after a rigorous preparation and assessment process conducted over 20 months. 

 

B-Corp is a third-party standard requiring companies to meet social sustainability, environmental performance and accountability standards, and be transparent to the public according to the score they receive on the assessment. The movement aims to shift the behaviour, structure and culture of capitalism to focus on the ecological needs of the planet. 

 

Only just over 6,000 companies across the world have so far achieved the coveted B-Corp status across more than 80 countries from more than 100,000 applicants, underlining the difficulty of achieving the certification.  

 

Bitmore’s naturally sustainable tech range includes over 35 SKUs, including power banks, speakers, earphones and charging devices. The brand uses environmentally-friendly materials such as recycled TPE, plastic and wheat straw materials in its products.  

 

In total, the process for Bitmore to achieve B-Corp certification took around 20 months. That included eight months to complete the B-Corp assessment, which included implementing new environmentally-friendly procedures and working practices, as well as setting up an internal legal framework. It then took a further 12 months for B-Corp to do Bitmore’s review and final assessment before the certification award. 

 

The process required Bitmore to initially take a bird’s eye look at the business, and how it operates in the context of governance, community, environment, workforce and customers. These areas were then set against the objectives outlined by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, so the process was very detailed, with evidence required to support the assessment.   

 

Achieving B-Corp is the pinnacle of a shift in emphasis by Bitmore at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to become a sustainable eco-friendly business and brand. 

 

Bitmore CEO Hoj Parmar explained the background for this change in direction: “It was a bit of a moment or realisation for me that I remember very clearly during the pandemic that started our journey towards sustainability and B-Corp.  

 

“The whole world was in simultaneous lockdown in early 2020, and whilst watching the news one evening, there was a segment on how the Himalayas (more than 500 miles away) could now be seen from a town in the Northwest state of Punjab in India, where previously due to low clouds, smog and pollution, they had not been visible in living memory.  

 

“This was a time when globally, in sync, industries were closed, and there was virtually no transport on our roads, skies or seas. This proved that in a very short space of time, things can change, and the planet can heal itself. 

“It was at this point I realised as a business, we could also make a difference, and it would be the right thing to do. We started to fast track everything in terms of product development and move towards becoming a more sustainable and eco-friendly brand.” 

 

On the progression to B-Corp status he added: “We made the decision to go for B-Corp certification in 2021 because of its all-encapsulating business framework when it comes to meeting standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.  

 

“It helps us to keep these things at the forefront of our day-to-day business and will ensure that Bitmore will have an ever-evolving sustainable strategy, which will always link back to our product development with a view to pushing our sustainability agenda at all times.” 

 

Bitmore will have to re-certify to B-Corp status every 36 months. “B-Corp is continually reviewing and updating the terms of B-Corp membership, so for us it’s an ongoing process of review, and then updating our working practices to ensure we comply,” said Parmar. “We have created an internal role for this to make sure we do not fall behind in any way.” 

 

Parmar is now urging other businesses in travel retail to follow the B-Corp path. He said: “Businesses can all make a positive difference if we choose to and business should be used as a force for good. We are still a commercial business at the end of the day, and profit is also a key driver for us.  

 

“But you can be a profitable business with an ethical viewpoint and a matching purpose behind your business. The reality is this is how 21st century businesses need to operate to ensure the safety and prosperity of future generations. I highly recommended the pursuit of B-Corp status, which will ensure any brand or business is doing its bit towards the sustainable world I think we would all like to see.”