The journey to B Corp

Here at DP Medical, we’re very proud of the values we hold and the reputation for quality and integrity that we’ve built across our industry. We’re now aiming to cement that reputation by achieving B Corp Certification, a globally respected benchmark that recognises ethical business practices.

But what does the journey to achieving B Corp Certification involve? And why does it matter? Here, Javier Pazos Garcia – DP Medical’s Quality Control and Environmental Manager and the driving force behind DP’s certification process, explains:

At a time when many companies are keen to stress their commitments to being socially and ethically responsible, it’s vital that businesses such as ours demonstrate this commitment in a way that’s more than just words.

From environmental sustainability through to being a great employer, all of these areas matter greatly to DP Medical. That’s why we’re on a mission to become B Corp certified.

The prestigious B Corp mark is only awarded to companies that meet rigorous standards across five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers.

For DP Medical, this means not only maintaining our high-quality service and products but also demonstrating measurable impact in areas like carbon reduction, fair pay and ethical supply chains.

Team focus

The journey to achieving B Corp status requires a wealth of team input across the company and, once in place, an ongoing commitment to upholding the high standards the certification rightly requires.

It also means our team knows we’re working hard to be the best employer we can.

Already, this has included DP recently being recognised as a Living Wage Employer, an accreditation awarded by the Living Wage Foundation, which recognises organisations that proudly commit to paying staff a wage that meets the cost of living.

B Corp Certification also requires us to focus on areas such as workforce health and wellbeing initiatives, employee benefits, training, pay equity and team diversity.

Customer reassurance

Equally, achieving B Corp status will provide our much-valued customers and suppliers with the reassurance that they’re doing business with an ethical and socially responsible business.

Factors such as sustainability and environmental impact have a very real impact on how organisations choose suppliers and partners nowadays - and rightly so.

We’re very proud to be already making good headway in this area, with the introduction of our company-wide Carbon Reduction Plan recently. We’re also proud holders of both ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) and 14001 (Environmental Management System).

Achieving B Corp status will prove further testimony to this work and our ongoing dedication to achieving Net Zero status by 2050.

Looking ahead

The process of achieving B Corp Certification is certainly not easy, but nor should it be.

The thorough assessments we’re putting the business through allow us to identify any areas for improvement and make sure we’re doing the very best we can, both as a team and on behalf of our customers and suppliers, too.  

Over the coming months we’ll be sharing more information about each of these areas, highlighting the fantastic work going on behind the scenes as we continue our journey towards becoming a proud B Corp organisation.

For further information about B Corp Certification, visit: https://B Corporation.uk/