As a small company, ethical and sustainable practice is consistently at the front of our minds; whether that’s considering diversity when onboarding new staff to purchasing only the most eco-friendly supplies for our office pantry. Sustainability is the baseline to every decision we make here at Little Red Rooster and not something we’re willing to compromise on.
In June, we were awarded the highly recognised B Corp certification, after a fair yet gruelling application process. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The B Corp community is a global movement of businesses that provide leadership by demonstrating their commitment to people and the planet. We are among only 25 other PR agencies in the UK with this certification.
In the six months from certification, we have embodied our commitment to the cause by making many changes and improvements in both personal and work life. Achieving the certification is one thing, but here at Little Rooster we never stand still, and we’re constantly looking to improve. Here are just a few snippets of our achievements over the last six months.
SUSTAINABILTY PLEDGES
Thinking sustainably means a plethora of things – the ability to maintain processes and changes to the way we live and work, plus the widely known meaning of the word – avoiding the depletion of our natural resources to better our planet. Both definitions come into play daily at the coop and we wouldn’t be who we are without firmly sticking to our sustainability pledges.
The office has a strict zero single use plastics rule. No plastic water bottles, no plastic packaging and certainly no plastic packing materials for press samples. This does mean we go the extra mile to purchase certain pantry fillers, such as heading to Maya’s Refillables in Wokingham for our cereal and dry goods. We have a regular delivery of milk, bread, and yoghurts from Milk & More, who pack everything in sustainable packaging such as glass, and once finished, is sent back to the depot for re-use. On the topic of food waste, we’ve installed a food compost bin for our weekly team lunch scraps and leftovers.
Another project we quickly tied up was the transition to digital newspapers and magazines. We realised how much wastage we were creating just by our daily newspaper delivery. Although of course this is all recyclable, we weren’t convinced this was enough when so many publications are offering digital versions. We now read as many as we can on our iPads and laptops, and any physical copies, we donate to various craft clubs and establishments in the local area.
CHARITY PARTNERSHIPS
Since 2021, we have supported Smart Works Reading, a charity set up to support women at work. Whether it’s a career break due to childcare, health-related or societal issues, or simply those who are less fortunate and need some help with their wardrobe for an interview, Smart Works is there to help. We like to really get involved in these causes; we have visited the office several times, and participated in various raffles, events, and fundraisers. We are planning another visit shortly for all our new staff for some training with the Smart Works team. Additionally, for every person who attends our annual Summer Showcase and Christmas press reception, we donate £10 to Smart Works in lieu of goody bags.
SPONSORSHIPS
We are proud sponsors of Green Grads, an organisation set up by award winning design journalist Barbara Chandler. The project supports and advises recent design graduates throughout their career journey by hosting networking events, discussions, and exhibitions. Little Red Rooster was excited to be invited to take part in a sustainability themed panel discussion during London Design Festival. We were joined by NaturalMat, Anglepoise and Heal’s, fellow B Corp certified brands – read more here in our previous blog on the topic of Green Grads.
We’re looking forward to continuing to implement new B Corp policies throughout 2024; as you know, we’re always striving for the best results in all areas of life, and this is most definitely one of the more meaningful sectors that needs improvement. We’re exceptionally proud to be part of the B Corp community of growing businesses and brands. To that end, we love working with fellow B Corp brands, or those keen on gaining B Corp certification with strong sustainability credentials – if that sounds like your business, get in touch! Drop us a line to find out how we can help.
