The TRUTH about B Corporations

The legendary B Corp Certification claims to be one of the best ways to certify and legitimize a company's intentions. We're wondering... Can we trust them?
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For further reading, check out the sources for this video here:
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Script: Holly Maley
Editor: Tanner Banas + Kirsten Stanley
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand
Want to work with Future Proof? Suggestions? Hate mail? Get in touch with the project manager, Lu: [e-mail]

[@nachopascual96]

As someone who works for a pretty well known B-Corp that breaks its back to achieve sustainability and fairness, it was pretty shocking and frustrating when I heard that Nespresso was now certified as a B corp. It doesn't invalidate all the work we put into making our company and products fair, but it definitely makes it frustrating as fuck!

[@FutureProofTV]

Completely agree! It feels like the whole purpose has become unnecessarily muddy.

[@vincentbuscarello1357]

B corps are the carrots, now we need sticks. Without sticks, the for-profit-for-good movement will got the exact route marxists expect it to - ded. Bank divesting is a start, but its so unorganized...

[@InfernoVor]

Yeah, being a B-Corp means dogshit after they joined... There will be companies legit working towards that goal, but becoming a B-Corp won't validate them.

[@sigitasmiskinis2654]

Bill Gates corporation I guess, need to worry about it a bit,future proof? Wtf is that? For what? As on the planet proof, do you believe in it??

[@user-ml1to8gk3g]

:(

[@HEMAYATC]

I’d love to see a deep dive into other certifications such as the Rainforest Alliance, Greenguard Gold, ECO Institut and Fair Trade Certified!

[@HumbleWooper]

Absolutely! Which ones are actually useful indicators of green/ethical business practices, vs which ones are just a pretty sounding name to stamp on your stuff for easy greenwashing?

[@sweettart130]

Fair Trade for sure, as I keep seeing that thrown around lately.

[@FutureProofTV]

Thanks for the comment! yeah there's a TON of stuff to know and research here but these videos perform super bad and it costs a lot for us to produce them so it's hard to prioritize you know? But we'll try and get to some of them!

[@beachpone]

yeah, I've always wanted to know about these certs, they all seem a little too good to be true when just about every coffee brand is slapping them on the front of the bag lately it would be great if every coffee brand was guaranteeing fair prices and sustainable methods for all their coffee in the entire world, but I'm pretty sure I'll see the bare face of god before that happens

[@HEMAYATC]

@@FutureProofTV Totally makes sense! We appreciate all the hard work the Futureproof team puts in to educate us all! Thank you!

[@faunamancy]

it's kind of shocking that the child labor thing isn't like, you know, bare minimum required material to get certified

[@chris-2496]

It is. The assessment verifier probably wasn't doing a good job at identifying that issue.

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

Disappointed of B labs. As consumers the B certificate was one of the few transparency that we had but if mega corporations like those just fake or buy their way in, then it lost is value as a certification

[@AshrakAhmed]

All this certification authorities are just easy money making scam for the people who start them. Think about it you get yourself famous and recognised enough then put pressure on big corp to pay up to get certification form you to be considered "Fair", all the while your bank account get fill to the brim with tax-free money. It's a long term hussle but if you pull it off you are set for life. Party with celebrity, fame, free press and free money for rest of your life!

[@alphateilchen_]

I was also surprised to see that Evian got the B corporation label. A company that ships bottled water across the world

[@karolinakuc4783]

At least they can sell you in glass

[@phynx2006]

Even B Corp folded to corporate greed, they should be ashamed, they have lost there validity👎😖 More, yes please👍😎

[@Val-iw8qh]

More videos on certifications would definitely be helpful. Fair Trade, FSC, GOTS, Blue Sign, OEKO-TEX, RWS, GreenGuard, etc.

[@empresssk]

I’m recently finding OEKO-TEX certifications on polyester items and I just can’t. There’s no such thing as clean polyester. Come to find out there’s a loop hole into how these companies get the certification. Smh. So frustrating. So much endless research

[@karolinakuc4783]

​@@empressskWell I guess you cannot get recycled cotton yarn if you don't add 10% poliester. Recycling makes fibres weaker. Also virgin poliester sheds less microplastics than recycled poliester. Same with GOTS.

[@sophiaisabelle0227]

It's amazing how much this channel has grown. God bless everyone.

[@FutureProofTV]

Hey, thanks so much for the support! We're lucky to have such dedicated viewers such as yourself 😁

[@jaredwark4775]

I appreciate that you finally brought out this video. I remember making a comment about it what feels like a year ago. It’s really not easy to be critical about your consumption and B-Corp status was supposed to be an easy shorthand to tell what is at least somewhat better than its competitors. It’s such a shame that it’s not the perfect solution we would all have hoped.

[@FutureProofTV]

Ugggghhh completely agree. We really just need a hero sometimes and B-corps felt like it was going to be it. 😢

[@MrDdwornik]

My take away from the video was that the new certification seems alright. I would think the certification is about the stuff we can't see as consumers (child labor), not the stuff we can see (the packaging trash).

[@protocetid]

Nobody should be shocked they were bound to sell out or have loopholes. Haven’t we learned their ravenous hunger for profit will cause businesses to hurt and sacrifice anything for a bit of extra cash? You don’t count on the private sector to inspect and regulate itself, it doesn’t do a reliable job. That’s what the government is for, sometimes they will self regulate out of fear of the state so regulation is still needed in a way. Look at the regulations the EU has been passing, they get things done. You can’t choose who works at a company, but you can elect government officials.

[@story3877]

Omg...I'm about ready to give up. I watched the garbage collection guys take our recycling yesterday and throw it right in with the rest of the garbage. They did it all the way up the street and this is NOT the first time i caught them doing this. I don't know how we verify that ANY company or even municipal service is actually doing what they claim. Ugh!!!

[@FutureProofTV]

That's so disheartening!! I'd definitely report that sort of thing... 👀 Honestly the more we keep these governments accountable hopefully the better our systems will be. One can only hope🥱

[@deeeno6867]

Unfortunately recycling all around North America mostly ends up in the landfill… sometime back in the late 2010’s (can’t remember exactly), China stopped accepting our recycling for processing due to how contaminated it was. We just don’t have the infrastructure to process it here, so most of it gets thrown out. That’s why Refusing, Reducing and Reusing are much better than the last R, recycling. Divesting from consumerism will have a much more positive impact on our planet than recycling ever did

[@beachpone]

the sad part is that even if the collection team took the recycling to the correct facility, the facility would still throw 90% of it in the regular trash too, because recycling just doesn't work as advertised

[@BigBearBloo]

Recycling is mostly a myth. We've been had. Again. I wish recycling programs would end so my taxes can be reduced. It's just greenwashing.

[@jerrymiller9039]

You did not catch them. You observed standardized work that has been that way all along.

[@LarsGlenz-bq6dg]

This is so frustrating 😢 how can you not loose your faith in humanity when every single time you start to trust a company or certification you get smacked in the face over and over again. So sad… Definitely interested in more third party labels/certifications!!

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

Don't trust companies. That would be a good start. At least to keep from getting smacked in the face. Even the ones who do start of well with good intentions eventually fall victim to growth and takeover which always will be the death to good intentions.

[@Vromiaris778]

Nespresso, Coca-Cola & P&G getting B-Corp certification completely disqualifies the whote B-Corp certification process. Might as well change to “Wall Street” certification.

[@middleagebrotips3454]

B stands for benefit (to the shareholders)

[@spaghettisama]

wild that "equality promise" is as valuable as "no child labor", how insane is that?

[@josephhughes1498]

I emailed them a few months ago after seeing The body shop’s store have a B corp logo on the outside as it really de-valued B corp status to me so I told them and they basically gave a dismissive reply…

[@bobsyouruncle1069]

I questioned a website showing the B Corp logo despite being excluded from the brand list through B Labs dataworld forum. Whilst I didn't get a reply, the B Corp Logo is no longer on that website so I think my question got somewhere.

[@89ji36]

Would love to see a video on the Fairtrade certification, I work in the coffee business and have seen that label so often without ever thinking much about what it may or may not mean

[@plant_trees_kg]

PLEASE make other certification videos like Fair Trade, Rainforest Certified, and maybe one on palm oil!

[@shadowfang13]

Yeah!! Do more 3rd party certification videos plz. I'm just starting out with the adult thing, I'm 23 and starting to pay attention to what how I impact the world with what I buy. I'm don't even know where to start when it comes to a credible certification. This video did help, and I'll looking into B corporations.

[@norawotton5440]

This was very disappointing to learn. We can’t necessarily trust B Corp, but we still trust you! Thanks for keeping an eye on those things for us.

[@Milanor]

This happens when profit is the first priority above your values. This evidently being the case for b lab /b corp

[@cachauable]

A little something I appreciate about this channel's content. I have a long list of things that I had thought to buy, and still kinda sorta do want to buy...all those feelings are dispelled after binging this content. I dont wanna buy shit anymore. Whatever the opposite of buyer's regret, this is it.

[@clydew.7673]

Thanks for raising this topic, Levi. Really appreciate you and the FP team bringing visibility to this issue / acknowledging that there's still room to improve.

[@fearsomefawkes6724]

Seems to me like the bigger a companies scope, the harder it should be to get B Corp Cert

[@FutureProofTV]

Totally agreed.

[@AshrakAhmed]

Nespresso did work hard to fill the application form and paid a lot of money.

[@notapplicable7292]

I've been waiting for this.

[@blvckswvndmv]

If Nestle and Coke have it, it’s dead to me.

[@jacobr5627]

Tillamook Creamery has it despite being union busters

[@AshrakAhmed]

@@jacobr5627 3 white saviour will make big corporation work fair and honor equality! only problem the saviours never had to face unfairness or inequality, so they thought getting corporation to pay money will make them honor the policy they signed up for with B!

[@helenagaleano6818]

I think a video about other certifications would very much go well with the theme of the channel. I'm excited to see if it'll actually be made.

[@sarah6479]

Just commenting to help with the algorithm. Thanks for always putting out good content!

[@jeannin2.718]

This is exactly the type of content I come to Future Proof to watch. Thanks, team!

[@FutureProofTV]

Thanks so much for watching! 🥰🙏🏻

[@user-fs5qe9nr3p]

Thanks for this. Shared on Linkedin with my own thoughts. Yes, more deep dives behind all the certifications please!

[@playwithoutwords]

I would love to see a deep dive into LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and other building certification programs.

[@nidhibahl5875]

That’s horrible. Thanks future proof team for doing this work..much appreciated

[@nicolasmarkham9656]

Woah no flannel!?

[@FutureProofTV]

Lumberjack Levi is out for the day 😅

[@jtdougl8842]

This one hurt. Was just telling a buddy last week how great B Corps are

[@deeeno6867]

I’d be really psyched to see more videos on different certifications!

[@idraote]

Faith in humanity... critically endangered

[@jacobr5627]

Tillamook Creamery is a B Corp and they have engaged in union busting, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

[@samwiseknows]

This is not just a food review channel...This is a cultural documentary that makes me appreciate our planet and I will support this channel till l'm an old woman with 8 cats.

[@FutureProofTV]

We appreciate youUuUuuUu!! Thanks for all the support here 😁😁

[@samwiseknows]

@@FutureProofTV 😂😂

[@reinegrea2293]

I know someone who worked for Nestle in a role where the person has seen and had to cover up a lot of sh..t. The personsaid, that if there would be an adequate whistleblowing protection, he would talk, but the problem is, that Switzerland (where Nestle is headquartered) does not have a whistleblower protection act. not to mention, that Nestle has a huge lobby in the politics. Adding to that, Switzerland introduced a new version of a data protection law which clashes with the freedom of speech principles. Very sad story. Investigative journalists careers has been ruined and people who try to speak up lost their careers and reputation.

[@summerleigh614]

YES please, more videos on other certifications!🙏

[@alyssapruneau6855]

I've been waiting 6 years for this video

[@arliepeyton]

So true. I have worked for one. B corp is a scam and who would want to be in the same company as Nespresso et al? Greenwashing in different clothes.

[@Sher-Burt]

Loved the Fairytale reference there

[@stuck_around]

they should add little "b" certification to companies who are a little more dodgy but gives them an 'in' to encourage/monitor better ethics should they actually decide to pursue it

[@bloodlove93]

nestle would just waste it. corporations aren't people, they don't have a soul or heart.

[@mflutopia1717]

Actual verification of every step of every organization's b cert claim--would take a huge amount of labor, time, expense...just not gonna happen.

[@germanus7302]

Honestly, i found this certification video more interesting than the brand reviews. So many certs are meaningless or dont mean what people think they mean. a video series explaining their perks and flaws would be a great addition to the channel.

[@FutureProofTV]

Thanks for the feedback! If only they performed well 😢🙈

[@samiatassi4526]

Would love to see more videos about certifications!

[@lleonardi]

serious question. are we even surprised?

[@FutureProofTV]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@nagila6394]

ABSOLUTELY tell us more about other certifications!!!

[@superbubulubu]

There are a ton of restaurants and companies here in Mexico which are also B certified, but under the hood they have terrible ethical practices. It's all money :(

[@benjamin3044]

This entire video is essentially a case study on B Labs and regulatory capture.

[@eugemaifa]

By just the title I screamed "FACTS. facts facts." I used to work in such a scammy place omg, like if there is a certification of the opposite of what "B" stands for they are the top winners. It was this kind of real estate/developments/buildings thingy I don't know how do you call this in english but like. Oh. My. God. I stopped believing in this certification inmediately.

[@thekitschsidekick]

Yes! Fair trade and Forest Alliance, please! I have always tried to buy the most ethical coffee and would like to know more

[@LimitedWard]

It sounds like what we need is a Future Proof™ certification.

[@Zazaaa27]

3:07 I heard ‘maison d’être’ instead of ‘raison d’être’ and didn’t understand what the Passé Compose had to do with this 😅😂

[@FutureProofTV]

I love how specific this comment is haha

[@Zazaaa27]

@@FutureProofTV I just finished an exam French and it was mainly about les temps du passé (plus-que-parfait; passé compose; conditionel passé, passé recent et l’imparfait) so I have those 15 words (of which I always forget ‘passer’) stuck in my head hoping that I’ll “passe” that part of the exam 😅

[@HermaeusM]

PLEASE tell me when a corporation’s application is denied they get a letter full of corporate BS language 😂😂 “unfortunately we have decided to move in a different direction.” “Sadly our objectives do not line up at this time, so we will be unable to proceed with your application.”

[@MajokiMusic]

Would love a deeper dive in other certification systems, similar criticism recently at Rainforest Alliance in Ivory Coast

[@elisebalk]

Unless there's a requirement to provide data in support of their answers, companies can put whatever answers they want into the survey.

[@ristekostadinov2820]

The B corporation model is very flawed, there are so many corporations with complex structure and 100s of subcontractors. How can you proof that all of the subcontractors are doing the things that are required for the corporation to be B certified.

[@atal_7]

Even James Hoffmann made a video about nespresso claiming to be good for environment. Which it is not obviously.

[@TheZectorian]

B lab should also have stipulations on the brand/company owner’s behaivior. If a company owns both the slave labor chocolate brand for Walmart and ethical single origin chocolate brand for Wholefoods. Neither should be able to make B corp status

[@markovnikovaddition5226]

yes please do more on certifications!! also on sites and extensions like ecosia

[@skyfeelan]

the easiest solution is just to put a limit in the market cap, since we can't limit the wealth of a company, we can at least bar them from the certification

[@tchaika222]

The B Corp Certification is worthless at this point. The only thing that matters to big corporations is the logo that they get to slap on their website. People can check scores if they like, but the fact of the matter is that B Corp Certification endorsed the exact opposite of what it was supposed to stand for, and by doing that they lost all integrity and credibility. If I owned a small business, I would find other ways to show my commitment to the same values, and I would certainly not waste my time and resources to join a pointless virtue signalling club that helps big corporations get their greenwashing stamp of approval. I wouldn't be surprised if B Corp Certification became associated with greenwashing and if more and more businesses didn't bother with renewal because it could actually hurt their brand.

[@12rapdl]

After a meat producer company in my company received the certification, they lost every credibility to me.

[@tombebee]

Not surprising that the B certification is now up for grabs as long as the corporation has the deep pockets to pay for it. Sad, but this looks like another verification of a company that should be taken less seriously. Too bad for the companies that actually follow the guidelines. And yes, videos like this on other types of certifications would definitely be interesting.

[@ethanholbrook4608]

This is much needed! B Corp is in a phase of making challenging calls that will have long-lasting impacts for its brand, and certified B-corp brands, for years to come.

[@mjsvitek]

Nestle 10 part special plz ♥️

[@3eworkwear]

Great video! I'd love to see a deep dive into how block chain technology works, in particular from the standpoint of the public and the corporation w.r.t. garments made with recycled content. In other words, what does a company need to do to use this technology to substantiate their claim of recycled content, and how does the consumer use and understand block chain technology in order to feel confident that they are purchasing items with recycled content? Thanks!

[@hiwrenhere]

This is a video that I've been waiting for, for a long time!

[@roxyb03]

Maybe we need a separate classification for horrible corporations that commit to at least marginally improving- I for improving or some other designation other than B? Including them as B corporations risks incentivizing cynical tactics that the original B classification seemed to be trying to combat.

[@mikeylikey2306]

I’d love to see a take down on the Mickey Mouse certifications that shaite company’s whack on their labels

[@andreaspriantono6791]

Back to ourself, because most of the time, human is the one who will do the job, so it would be error, sometimes, even the pro.

[@allisondegan2296]

Would love to see more on these 3rd party certs. Very informative! Thank you for your work!

[@orangeblossom1712]

A big shout out to Levi for prerecording all of this content before traveling the continent in an electric vehicle 😭🙏

[@hymnsfordisco]

In my opinion, it seems there's something wrong with the business model as companies are quite literally paying for certification. It doesn't mean every certification is a bribe, but you would expect it to slowly but surely trend in that direction over decades.

[@AshrakAhmed]

All this certification authorities are just easy money making scam for the people who start them. Think about it you get yourself famous and recognised enough then put pressure on big corp to pay up to get certification form you to be considered "Fair", all the while your bank account get fill to the brim with tax-free money. It's a long term hussle but if you pull it off you are set for life. Party with celebrity, fame, free press and free money for rest of your life!

[@PopeDope69-420]

All of those food labels are covered in Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilema”. You should read that if you want to dive into the topic

[@ghostgripe]

I watch this channel half for the knowledge, half for watching Levi try his damnedest to be optimistic while losing it slowly

[@double_07]

I work in a b corp company. We are not that big, but I will bring this in the next general meeting to see if they raise these concerns with the organization...

[@samwiseknows]

You definitely need to. B corp is so devalued by letting these companies in.

[@tca912]

Great video. About Coca-Cola or Procter & Gamble, these are not certified B Corporations. They have indeed acquired certified B Corp subsidiaries in recent years, and these subsidiaries (such Innocent Drinks) may remain B Corp in the process. But it does not mean that the acquiring corporations become themselves a certified B Corp.

[@karolinakuc4783]

Procter & Gamble makes shitty ass shampoo and so is in case of Johnson & Johnson (the company has ties to Nazis that used to make soap out if human bodies).

[@klairer9427]

Love this video so much! I recently started working for a B Corp and was excited to learn about how the certification standards will be changing and getting more strict - I love that it'll hold everyone (particularly the big companies that we're questioning why they're on the list...) to a higher standard!

[@Seelingfahne]

This was really great content as usual, compelling to think about. Regulation is sexy, it’s time these dinosaur corporations fulfilled their destiny. Maybe one day we can dismantle the insane advantages corporations get to stop the exploitation from happening in the first place.

[@PerogiPalooka]

Seems like B Labs is going the same way the BBB went- paying for good ratings and certification.

[@AE1OU]

The B in B corps can also stand for "bribe" as this seems more likely as to how nespresso is able to coast easily lol

[@jamesvieira4053]

I would love to see all of those other 3rd party orgs dived into but I’m really interested in Fair Trade. I want to know more about whether the fair trade cert on my coffee means anything or not. I know coffee is a sketchy item when it come to human rights so that’s why I’m so interested.

[@rufioh]

I’ve literally never heard of the term B-corp until this video

[@YouTuber-vy7hq]

he's so cute when he gets all flustered.

[@Milanor]

Ah yes! I love to drink my child labor coffee with a b corp label slapped on top of it This really makes me trust for the b corp label more than ever 🙏🏽

[@SkillIzzues]

you've made a video on Fjällräven, now we need a video on Lundhags

[@joylox]

I see it as a step in the right direction. If a company has it, I'm more likely to compare to others that have it, rather than one that does and one that doesn't, unless it's local and reputable, or has a good report already, like I was buying from TomboyX before their certification because I like their materials, their prices supported paying living wages, and it was good to see their direction. But when it comes to things like shampoo, instead of getting whatever has a B on it at the store, I found a Canadian organic brand that makes scent free hypoallergic products, has refills at a local store, and is somewhat reasonably priced. They have USDA/QAI certification for ingredients, but are still smaller and only are available in Canada and USA. I think one challenge is that people think B corp means they've made it, but others say that it's a sign a company is trying. Big corporations should have extra care, because yes it is important, and it's nice to see them at least try to care, but that doesn't mean they're making the improvements they claim to. I always find it weird when tampon companies say they're so great, but then you see plastic packaging from them all over beaches. I've always used ones without the extra plastic as I find it easier, but it shows that they're either not aware of the issue, or don't care about it. At least with, say my local Tim Hortons, they've gotten in trouble for having litter everywhere on a nearby trail, so they actually pay the trail maintainers (volunteers) for their work in picking up all the coffee cups left on the trail. Obviously individuals should be responsible for appropriately putting their items in the correct bins or taking trash home to throw out, but that doesn't always work.

[@andrewsinabutar560]

Anyone else randomly get FutureProof's video on their suggestion list and now get excited everytime they posted new vid?

[@Milanor]

It will be an amazing marketing stunt of b lab dropped companies like Nestle

[@indigosnow_]

Damn that sucks, it also sucks that it's not all that surprising. That even the small things we can be somewhat hopeful about are ultimately wack. so much is so wack. so it goes I suppose

[@cornellfoodie]

This is my favorite video of yours yet! Great job!!!

[@pacificgamer6700]

B-Corp has an island somewhere where it hides some secrets from the public. (totally not isle reference)

[@oldyoldenough7327]

The B now stands for Bullcrap

[@EinfachFredhaftGaming]

I've never seen that label anywhere in Europe yet

[@lopezjuan316jl]

I’m lazy so I buy Nespresso because it is so much faster and I give them back every capsule with the hope that they really reuse them 😢

[@powerhousebakeryatnutritio1311]

This is so interesting. Well done! And fun to watch you!

[@Juliettango87]

Pretty much this video has taught me that B lab certification is meaningless and a waste of time and money. I won't let it's seal of approval influence my future purchases

[@TheVintageGuidebook]

Haven’t tried any of these, so this was super helpful!

[@dereksnider7148]

B-Lab needs to be criticized far more for allowing Nespresso in, than Nespresso for muscling and/or greasing their way in. There needs to be more hard line requirements -- like ensuring basic human rights of employees, no child labour, etc...

[@Birdie336]

If you are in the UK and like this kind of thing, I think you might like "ethical consumer" magazine.