March is B Corp month and, as a B Corp certified company, we know the huge amount of work that goes into getting – and staying – certified, and we appreciate the values that underpin the businesses that are part of the B Corp community. We’re proud to be part of that community, so we wanted to take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on ten of our favourite B Corps from New Zealand and Australia.

Pampa

Pampa, which became a B Corp in 2023, creates beautiful modern homewares made with traditional techniques. It’s the destination for earthy woven rugs, cosy throws, and luxurious bedding in desert tones of mustard, rust, dusky pink, and bone. All products are designed in Australia and crafted in partnership with skilled artisans in remote Argentina and further areas of Latin America. The brand sources natural fibres such as pure sheep’s wool and cotton from small scale farmers and always shares how its products are made, where they originate from, and who made them.

Chia Sisters

Not only are Chia Sisters’ drinks delicious and full of nutrients, they’re made in New Zealand’s first solar-powered juicery in Nelson. Like us, the company has been B Corp certified since 2021 and, like us, the company was founded to make a positive impact. Together, the sisters and founders – a neuroscientist and an NZ triathlete no less! - built a brand around creating all-natural drinks to support both health and the planet. Ingredients include chia seeds, berries, cacao, ginger, turmeric, mānuka honey, and passionfruit. In 2019, Chia Sisters launched Businesses for Climate Action to help businesses tackle climate change and reduce emissions.

Maggie Marilyn

Fellow NZ clothing brand Maggie Marilyn makes feminine, fashion-forward pieces that are designed to last. Candy stripes, florals, frills, and timeless basics are what the brand is known and loved for, and they’re made with circular and traceable fibres such as organic cotton, linen and merino. Made only in limited runs, Maggie Marilyn pieces are about quality, not quantity. The brand has been B Corp certified since 2022.

Taylor Pass

Every drop of Taylor Pass mānuka honey can be traced from hive to jar. Harvested from native New Zealand Mānuka, which is renowned for its antioxidant, antimicrobial and healing properties, each honey is given a Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF) rating, an independent certification that verifies the quality of the honey and the unique complex natural compounds it contains. Taylor Pass, which was certified in 2022, combines science with nature, working in harmony with nature while undertaking research which ensures best practice in terms of bee survival, water and energy conservation, environmental management and sustainable beekeeping.

Monarc Jewellery

Monarc Jewellery became the first New Zealand jewellery brand to achieve B Corp certification in February 2022. Its jewellery is made from 100% recycled precious metals and its gems are either recycled or from ‘aboveground’ sources which means it is not partaking in historically exploitative mining and extraction. Its diamonds are lab-grown and the brand offers repair, maintenance and re-plating to promote the longevity of its pieces. It is also 100% plastic-free in its workshops and throughout the business. Alongside all this, Monarc Jewellery’s designs are simply beautiful, featuring sweeping forms, soft lines and modern silhouettes.

Felton Road Wines

Felton Road is a new member of the B Corp community, achieving certification in January 2024. It’s a small, family-owned winery which utilises organic, biodynamic, and regenerative techniques across its 75 hectares of vineyards. In growing the grapes for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, it aims to farm with an understanding of the interaction between the soils, microorganisms, plants, and animals (it also farms goats, cows, and chickens to naturally control invasive crops and fertilise the land). All compost is made on site from its own waste matter such as stems, and it works to restore native plants. From onsite solar panels to using lightweight glass to reduce shipping emissions, this is a company that considers every detail.

Pleasant State

Keeping our homes clean doesn’t necessarily keep the planet clean as the products we use are often reliant on toxic chemicals and single-use plastic. Pleasant State, which gained its certification in 2022, supplies Australian-made, cruelty-free, non-toxic cleaning products in reusable and refillable glass bottles. The brand made its start with a crowdfunding campaign during the pandemic and its selection of concentrated, just-add-water cleaning bars has expanded to include multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom and toilet cleaner, floor cleaner, hand wash, dishwashing detergent and even a fruit and veg wash. The brand estimates it has stopped 150,000 plastic bottles from entering landfills to date.

Orba

Over 23 billion pairs of shoes are made each year and thanks to the synthetic materials used, the many different components, and the strong adhesives they’re incredibly difficult to recycle, so as many as 90% of them end up in landfill at the end of their use. New Zealand brand Orba, which became a B Corp at the end of 2021, aims to tackle that by making its sneakers from natural, renewable materials. Natural rubber soles, embroidered cotton eyelets, flax, kenaf and hemp uppers, and a cork footbed will all biodegrade at the end of life, meaning that the sneakers can return to nature via composting rather than becoming a burden on the environment. The simple, timeless styling of their sneakers means they’ll never go out of style either.

Modibodi

Headquartered in New South Wales, but now selling all over the world thanks to the popularity of its products, Modibodi has been leading the way in reusable, rewearable leak-proof apparel for a decade, and became B Corp certified in November 2023. From period pants to maternity products, Modibodi tackles the waste-making, single-use nature of the essential hygiene products millions of people use every single day. Using materials such as Responsible Wool Standard certified non-mulesed Australian wool, organic cotton, and FSC certified bamboo-based viscose, and taking care to ensure harmful chemicals are not present in its products, this is a brand that pays attention to the small - but crucial - details.

Ceres

Much like us, Ceres was doing business with the environment in mind well before it was trendy to do so. It started producing organic food in the early 1980s and continues to do the same to this day. Certified in January 2023, it takes many steps to operate with a purpose, including converting 10,000 hectares of land to organic, banning over 700 synthetic chemicals, and working with nearly 4,000 small farmers and their communities. Its range now includes everything from tasty snacks and cooking sauces to personal and home care products, making it easier for its customers to access organic products for every aspect of their lives.

If you want to discover new B Corps, or check to see if one of your favourite brands is certified, head to the directory, where every single certified B Corp is listed. It’s a brilliant resource for conscious consumers and you can search by region and sector, making it easy to narrow it down to your area of interest. You’ll find us here, under apparel, with all the details about our business and as well as our Impact Score. To follow along with B Corp Month on social media, search the hashtag #WeGoBeyond.