We are over halfway through March, the month dedicated to celebrating B Corporations and their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. At Pure Table Top, we are very proud to be part of this global movement that redefines success in business by not only considering profit but also people and planet.
As we mark B Corp Month, we are reflecting on our sustainability highlights over the past 12 months.
1 - The Brand Licensing Expo
In October 2023 we joined forces with our friends at Products of Change to exhibit our ranges in the ‘Green Pavilion’ at the Brand Licensing Exhibition at the Excel, London. For those who aren’t familiar with Product of Change, they are a purpose-driven organisation who are working hard to build an infrastructure and resource whereby our industry can reduce its environmental impact. This includes bringing like-minded businesses together, whilst offering guidance on their sustainable journey.
Reflecting on the show and on Products of Change, our Head of Brands and Marketing Lucie Taff writes -
“Being part of the Products of Change gives us access to industry experts who are able to share knowledge and challenge our ways of thinking, as well as the way we work both internally within our team and externally with stakeholders and the wider communities we work within. Brand Licensing Europe was a great networking show, giving us the opportunity to build new partnerships and share our knowledge across the industry.”
2 - People, Planet, Pint
In December 2023, we attended our first ‘People, Planet, Pint’ event at DeMontford University in Leicester, hosted by Richard Garner, Head of Business Development at Mojo Productions. Our Founder and Director Tanith joined a panel of B Corps to share a little bit more about Pure Table Top’s journey, whilst hearing from other like-minded businesses and their experiences. All accompanied by a few pints and sustainable networking.
3 - Manufacturing
Our team continued to work hard to improve our manufacturing methods and our materials for our products.
For SS23 we launched our brightest range to date - Sur La Table - Colour Me Happy. As well as high-quality, natural stoneware (which is designed to encourage consumers to buy better, to last longer), we also ensured that all of the textiles in the range were sourced and manufactured using Better Cotton Initiative Certified (BCI) cotton.
The Better Cotton Organisation’s mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Our Sourcing team here at Pure continue to work hard to better our manufacturing methods and materials for the ranges still to come - watch this space!
4 - Measuring and Reporting
Part of our sustainable mission is and always has been Transparency . We are not perfect but we are on a journey to do better for both people and planet in all areas of our business. As part of this mission, Jason Singh - our Head of Sourcing - has been working on our second year of carbon impact reporting, aligned with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14064, or the recording of a company’s greenhouse gas emissions. By holding us accountable, this reporting has and continues to help us better understand our business impact, which will be soon submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
5 - Packaging and Waste
With product also comes packing, and so as a B Corp, we want to reduce the impact of our packaging as much as possible. As well entering our second year of membership with OPRL, we have also submitted our waste packaging data inline with the government EPR regulations with the support of fellow B Corp, Beyondly. The purpose behind these reports and regulations is to reduce waste, improve collection and recycling rates, and encourage eco-design.
6 - Volunteering
Here at Pure we offer all of our employees x 2 Paid Volunteering days every year. Our employees have really embraced these days, volunteering across a wide range of causes. In May 2023, some of the lovely Pure team spent their two days volunteering to revamp the Community Hub room at Action Homeless Leicester. A local charity that helps people out of the cycle of homelessness and offers support and advice for the future.
From organising new decor to sourcing new furniture, the team really got stuck in - sanding, oiling, varnishing, scraping, painting and building - to create a really fabulous space for the clients to relax, have a cuppa and chat to professionals to help them integrate back into everyday life.
Other volunteering initiatives have included organising kits for new mums at Baby Basics, Leicester, and wrapping gifts for children at HELP Peterborough’s Christmas Event, a charity who work to make life easier for displaced, under privileged families, including Ukrainian refugees during the ongoing conflict.
7 - Rockfish
As part of our B Corp journey, we want to help our customers in delivering their sustainable vision, as well as our own. As part of this, we were delighted to collaborate with major retailer Dunelm and Cornwall-based ‘Rockfish’, to launch a brand-new range with sustainability at its heart.
Founded by Mitch Tonks, Rockfish is a unique seafood business which catches, processes and serves local seafood at 9 coastal locations in the South-West as well as delivering fresh fish to people’s homes nationwide. Rockfish are on a mission to change the way people experience seafood, whilst always ensuring that ‘tomorrow’s fish are still in the sea’.
Aligned with Rockfish’s sustainability credentials, we worked with Dunelm - ‘the home of homes’ - to launch the brand-new collection which included forward-thinking, consciously-made items such as 30% recycled ceramic mugs and nibble bowls, recycled mix cotton & polyester kitchen textiles, and mixed FSC Certified placemats and coasters. All items in the collection are presented in plastic free FSC certified or recycled card packaging.
Speaking to Mitch Tonks, founder & CEO of Rockfish, he says:
“I’m very excited to be working with Dunelm on our first homeware collection. The designs and product captures all that we love about the sea in a bold, playful and colourful way. We’re looking forward to being able to bring this part of the Rockfish experience to our customers’ homes across the country with the help of Dunelm.”
Here at Pure we are looking forward to what the next year brings on our B Corp journey. From new product launches to improved transparency initiatives, we have so much in the pipeline that we can’t wait to share.
Keep your eyes peeled,
Team Pure
