New Zealand beauty and wellness company Jeuneora has joined a celebrated line-up of businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability to balance profit and purpose; with the company this month achieving B Corp Certification with an impressive B Impact Score of 97 points.
B Corp Certification is administered by B Lab, a global non-profit network that creates definitive standards for businesses to measure their entire social and environmental output. The global movement aims to work toward a better economic system in which businesses contribute to an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. To certify, a business must be awarded a B Impact Score of at least 80 points, measured across five ‘Impact Areas’ – Workers, Customers, Governance, Environment, and Community.
Founded in 2016 by Monique Kaminski, Jeuneora offers a range of 100 percent natural, marine collagen and plant-based beauty and wellness supplements, and cruelty-free skincare. The business has been committed to sustainability from its inception, and Monique says that the certification is a welcome reflection of this commitment.
“B Corp Certification is a big deal. It means we join a global community that includes the likes of Allbirds and Patagonia that have been certified by B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance,” says Monique. “Achieving B Corp Certification is recognition of our holistic approach to sustainability and our journey of continuous improvement as we strive to leave a positive impact on the environment, our community, our customers, and our employees. Currently, there are only around 5,300 certified B Corps globally, and we’re extremely proud to be one of them.”
Monique says that being a sustainable business was important to her from the start, and that the B Corp certification is a demonstration of its evolution. “When I started Jeuneora in 2016, I asked myself what my non-negotiables were: to formulate and manufacture locally and to use sustainably-sourced marine collagen (a by-product of the fishing industry) as my hero ingredient,” says Monique.
“After that it was a case of constant education and keeping my eye on new innovations and initiatives and making improvements whenever I could.”
Some of those initiatives include the use of 100 percent Sugarcane Plastic supplement containers; ensuring no animal testing; becoming a Living Wage certified employer; and developing a guaranteed recycling programme with TerraCycle. In addition, Jeuneora gives $1 back to charity with every order made; uses only ethically and sustainably-sourced ingredients; uses GMP/MPI-certified manufacturers; and uses 20 per cent recycled plastic in skincare packaging.
Jeuneora Director, Colleen Itterman, has been a driving force in the company’s certification, and says that the achievement gives consumers trust and confidence to purchase more sustainably-minded products. “Kiwis increasingly expect businesses to be transparent, and B Corp certification is a marker that people can trust; that holds companies accountable for their social and environmental output.”
“Non-B Corp Businesses typically achieve a score of around 50-55 points, so we’re incredibly happy with our score in this first round of certification,” says Colleen. “At Jeuneora, we’re big believers in sustainability being a journey, rather than a destination – and we’re committed to continually doing better for our communities and customers.”
Once certified, businesses are required to undergo a verification process every three years, with a focus on ongoing improvement.
“As a young company that was created with sustainability as a founding principle, this certification not only recognises the work that we have done so far, but also helps keep us honest and provides a road map for how we can continually increase our efforts to do better as we grow,” says Monique.
You can find out more about B Corp and Jeuneora’s score here, and about the company and product range at www.jeuneora.co.nz
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