Benefit Corporations (a legal designation) and Certified B Corporations (a third-party certification) are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• Momentum continues to spread: Pennsylvania has become the 12^th state to sign B Corporation legislation into law!
• Ready to become a Massachusetts B Corporation on December 1st? The Massachusetts Secretary of State has released guidance on benefit corporations to help you.
• Best read this week: a great summary of the B Corp movement from the New York Times, which labeled B Corps as the yardstick for socially conscious companies.
• Ben & Jerry’s is now a B Corp! The Guardian provides a great summary of why this news is so big: Ben & Jerry’s is not only a huge, well known company, they are also the first subsidiary of a publicly traded company (Unilever) to become a B Corporation. For more details on the Ben & Jerry’s B Corp story, see what the Huffington Post, Fast Co, and Triple Pundit have to say about it. To read an interview with the Director of Social Mission at Ben & Jerry’s, check out CSRWire. Craving more? Ben & Jerry’s has made their B Impact Assessment public, which you can download here.
• For Etsy, simply passing their B Corp certification wasn’t enough. Soon after their certification was announced, Etsy employees dedicated a day of work to improving the company’s B score. In this Harvard Business Review article, B Lab co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert writes, “[this] may result in better policies and a higher B Impact Score, but there’s more to it than that. It’s already spurred employee initiative, innovation and intrapreneurship – all in the name of making Etsy better.”
• What are the biggest benefits to becoming a B Corp? Sustainable Industries notes 5 huge benefits noting that, “while other third-party certifications like LEED, Fair-Trade, and Energy Star are beneficial for any business, B Corp certification is particularly noteworthy and well-respected because it evaluates your entire business model.”
• But does it pay to be a socially conscious company? You bet it does! Forbes outlines 7 ways it pays to become a triple bottom line business and highlights B Corps as a means to this end.
• Ever enjoyed an article or infographic from GOOD? Now they’re a B Corp too!  You can read more on the GOOD website or check out Triple Pundit’s article on how GOOD bolsters the B Corp network.
• Congratulations to Easy Office (nonprofit accounting), Alterrus Systems (vertical farming systems for urban gardens), Lotus Foods (fair trade and sustainable rice), and Sleep with a Purpose (socially conscious bedding) for joining the B Corp Movement!

Finally, watch Ben and Jerry’s Director of Social Mission explain the company’s excitement in joining the B Corp community.

What’s your favorite piece of B Corp news from this list?

Benefit Corporations (a legal designation) and Certified B Corporations (a third-party certification) are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• Taking the award for most exciting buzz: at the Clinton Global Initiative, B Lab promised to extend the B Corp movement globally, reaching 20 countries on 6 continents by the end of next year! Triple Pundit provided a good recap of the Clinton Global Initiative and outlined the progress of the B Corp movement.
• The sale of Ben & Jerry’s to Unilever in 2000 is frequently cited as a reason to enact new corporate forms like L3Cs and Benefit Corporations. A Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) article recounts the Ben & Jerry’s acquisition from a corporate law perspective and concludes that “a hybrid legal form is neither necessary nor sufficient to maintain a social enterprise.” In rebuttal, the CEO of CSRWire shares his personal account of the acquisition and upholds Ben & Jerry’s as sound reasoning to push social enterprise legislation. Lastly, the co-founders of B Lab team up to fully respond to the SSIR article, defending the need for the B Corp movement.
• Barron’s recognizes that B Corps are paving the road for a growing number of impact investors, while the Guardian summarizes how B Corps are inspiring a global movement.
• Congrats to new B Corps: the first B Corp dairy cooperative, Cabot Creamery,  3Degrees, one of the nation’s leading providers of renewable energy and carbon offsets, and Klean Kanteen have all joined the ranks of newly certified B Corps!
• East Bay B Corps triumph: Oakland-based clothing company Oaklandish and One Pacific Coast Bank join the ranks of Bay Area B Corps, and Berkeley B Corp Bison Brewery was recognized by East Bay Express as “Most Community-Minded” brewery.
• Two social entrepreneurs are traveling across the country to highlight businesses taking a different approach. In an interview with the two travelers, Phoenix-based B Corp, Sputnik Moment, says being a B Corp is a stamp of approval and helps formalize best practices.
• The annual B Corp Champions retreat for certified B Corps took place in Half Moon Bay recently. Little Pickle Press and Payton Communications both shared their thoughts about the retreat on their blogs.

Finally, watch B Lab co-founder Andrew Kassoy get recognized at Clinton Global Initiative!

What are your thoughts on the latest B Corp news?

Photo by Brittany Murlas

As of July 1st, 2012 California state law (AB341) makes mandatory commercial recycling a legal requirement throughout the state.

In preparation for the new state law, Alameda County’s Waste Management Authority created an ordinance specifying which materials must be recycled, the recycling services required by East Bay cities, and how the law will be enforced in Alameda County. Beginning January 1st, 2013 if business or property owners who are not in compliance with this new law, they may be subject to warnings and possible fines.

Until now business and residential properties were not required to recycle. The new county and state laws target the two groups that recycle the least. Alameda County’s ordinance was designed to help the county reach its long-term goal to ensure recyclables and compostables make up less than 10 percent of landfill by 2020.

Recycling Costs and Requirements

As a business owner, you might have a common question: Will this cost more money? Recycling could cost more money, but the good news is that it is more likely businesses and landlords will be breaking even or possibly even saving money. Most recycling services cost half as much as garbage rates. According to OaklandLocal.com, if high waste generating businesses are appropriately distributing their recycling and garbage, the total cost for both recycling and garbage may be less than one would pay for just garbage collection.

All businesses, commercial property owners, property managers and institutions such as hospitals and nonprofit organizations that generate four or more cubic yards of garbage per week are required to:

1. Arrange for recycling collection,
2. Provide containers for recyclables
3. Mark recycling containers with information on how to separate, and
4. Provide employees/tenants with information on recycling.

It is possible for businesses to receive a waiver of exemption for reasons such as financial hardship, limited space, and lack of service. Some East Bay cities have opted out of the county-wide ordinance for a period of time or indefinitely, in which case Alameda County Waste Management is working provide the city’s recycling options. For information on recycling collection services available in your city, see the county’s City by City information page.

Resources to Help You

Do you need help setting up or improving your business’s recycling program? Help is available! You can:

• Fill out the county’s Waste Management online form or call the Mandatory Recycling line at 510.891.6575. Consultations from Alameda County are available by phone, email or on site at your business.
• Download free materials that will assist businesses to comply with the new requirements.
• Review the information available and get answers to frequently asked questions on the Alameda County Recycling Rules site.

Benefit Corporations (a legal designation) and Certified B Corporations (a third-party certification) are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• Benefit Corporation legislation continues to sweep across the country, as Illinois, Massachusetts, and Louisiana join the ranks of states that recognize this new corporate form. As Benefit Corporations spread to the Midwest, the Non-Profit Quarterly takes note that this also signals the rise of non-profit certifiers of businesses. In Massachusetts, a state with 18 Certified B Corporations, the question of the day is: Who will be the first Benefit Corporation?
• While many companies are moving forward to become Benefit Corporations, Forbes profiles one company in Louisiana that is waiting before becoming a Benefit Corporation.
• Think positive impact comes at a cost of business growth? Think again. Of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. named by Inc. Magazine, 27 are B Corps!
• Would you like to find B Corps near you? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an app for that? The new Social Impact app -  a GPS social enterprise finder – seeks to do just that, and will include social ventures that meet B Corporation criteria, among others.
• Should your business become a Benefit Corporation? Smallbiztrends.com offers three reasons to consider becoming a B Corp: 1) walking the talk, 2) continuity of commitment, and 3) standing out.
• The global B Corp movement is also moving full speed ahead. B Corps go down under as Small Giants becomes the first B Corp in Australia, Ouro Verde Amazonia becomes the first Brazilian B Corp, and  Juhudi Kilimo becomes Africa’s first B Corp!

Finally, even former President Bill Clinton takes notice of B Corps:

What are your thoughts on the latest B Corp news?