To Be a B-Corp… or Not?

To Be a B-Corp… or Not?

As Forma Life Science Marketing continues to entrench itself within the Agricultural Sector and understand the issues unique to that sector it’s only natural that we ask ourselves if we are doing our part.

As the saying goes, “If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem” so at Forma Life Science Marketing we have been thinking about how we can reduce own carbon footprint.  In our research we came across a B Corporations.

B Corporations are organizations that meet a higher standard in terms of social responsibility and environmental awareness.  There are many steps to actually getting certified as a B Corporation but just the initial assessment was very eye opening.

It is amazing how much impact little changes can make.  At Forma Life Science Marketing we no longer buy bottled water for client meetings.  Instead we have invested in a water filter and reusable drinking glasses.  At the end of the year this simple little change could mean there are 300 less empty water bottles that sit in a landfill somewhere.

We have also started questioning our printing policy.  Many of our clients have included a blurb in their email signatures about thinking twice before printing out an email.  On average one tree can produce about 8,000 pieces of paper.  http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2014-4-july-august/green-life/how-much-paper-does-one-tree-produce  If everyone in a 10 person office printed 5 less pages a day we would save more than one tree a year.  Not only does printing less make sense from an environmental perspective but it makes for a much less cluttered workspace.

Overall we have been surprised how easy it has been to make these little changes.  We all feel good about our contribution to preserving the planet, our clients and prospects are supportive, and some are even considering adopting similar practices and we are continuing to deepen our understanding of the environmental factors that affect the agriculture and biotechnology sectors.   Whether or not Forma Life Science Marketing receives a B Corporation certification we are already proud of ourselves and excited for our next step.