Sustainable party goods favourite meets rigorous social and environmental standards
They’re partying like there is a tomorrow at greeting card and gift retailer favourite Talking Tables as the company has improved its eco-credentials by being certified as a B Corp, joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit.
The party and tableware products and games company has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, after meeting rigorous social and environmental standards.
The B Corp certification involves an assessment of the social and environmental impact of a business through more than 200 questions concerning governance, employees, communities and the environment, with applicants required to meet a score of over 80 – Talking Tables achieved a score of 87.5.
“We’re honoured to be an early receiver of the B Corp certification within our industry and within the UK,” Talking Tables founder Clare Harris said. “We’ve found the B Corp application process has provided an invaluable framework for us, and its emphasis on continued improvement inspires us to strive to be better and develop new initiatives.”
As one of the first in its sector, Talking Tables joins a community of 5,575 businesses globally, with over 800 in the UK alone across 57 industries, who have certified as B Corps, including brands such as The Guardian, Innocent, Patagonia and The Body Shop.
Known for innovating to provide customers with sustainable choices so people can enjoy their parties knowing they’re eco-friendly, the company produced the world’s first totally plastic-free and recyclable paper cup, has removed plastic from napkin packaging via card packaging with a cut-out window, and debuted compostable trivia this summer, with paper products also home recyclable and some napkins are home compostable too.
New initiatives for spring/summer 23 include less reliance on virgin materials with recycled glass and paper products and bunting produced from fabric remnants. The season will see a continued emphasis on sourcing closer to home, and the collection will be 96% free of single use plastic.
Talking Tables has held an FSC licence for 10 years and is working with Ecologi on tree planting to offset napkin and games production as well as on more immediate impact initiatives like supporting wind farms. Committed to diversity, it has a zero gender pay gap as well as being a Living Wage company and a member of the Good Business Charter.
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “We’re pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from start-ups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector.
“Welcoming Talking Tables is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within their industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Talking Tables in paving the way for a new way of doing things.”
Talking Tables is a member of Products Of Change (POC), the membership hub for those on a sustainable journey. Other members include Danilo, Hallmark, Out Of The Blue Studios, Into The Green Publishing, Carousel Calendars, Cath Tate Cards, and Belly Button Designs. POC’s sustainability conference is on the horizon, taking place at the National Geographical Society on October 18. To find out more click here.
Top: B Corp certification is good for the environment
