written by
Leen Decorte

KeyPharm is now B Corp certified

KeyPharm 4 min read

Sustainable entrepreneurship is central at KeyPharm. Moreover, this dedication goes much further than simply wanting to be the best in our branch; it is deeply rooted is our company's mission. With the awarding of the internationally recognised B Corp certificate, this vision will become even more tangible. It is proof that we are actively striving to create an inclusive, fair and regenerative economy that works for everyone and also for our planet. By collaborating with like-minded organisations, we can increase our positive impact and truly make a difference.

What is B Corp?

B Corporations® are companies that are recognised by the international NGO B Lab as meeting the highest standards in the field of social, ethical and ecological best practices. The companies must meet these standards in the following five domains:

  • Governance: accountability, transparency, ethics and mission.
  • Environment: in and outflow, facilities, supply chain, production and packaging.
  • Employees: employment opportunities, remuneration, social benefits, education and growth.
  • Customers: service provision, appropriate product range.
  • Society: local community involvement, supplier involvement, diversity and inclusivity.

KeyPharm was awarded this certificate with a score of 94.3, which is a pleasing acknowledgement not only of the efforts made by our board of directors and our personnel, but also of the valuable contributions made in collaboration with our partners in matters relating to the environment and social issues.

More info on https://bcorporation.eu.

B-Corp: a journey of continuous improvement

The granting of B Corp certification is not the end of our journey: it simply marks the start of a continuing search for further improvement. Real progress does not cease with certification; real progress is a continual process. It challenges and inspires, forcing us to look critically at what we do and encouraging us to identify opportunities for further improving our methods and procedures. This engagement starts with our own internal team here at KeyPharm, but also extends outwards to our external relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. We will continue to make every effort to refine our working practices, to stimulate innovation, and to adjust all our operations in response to the ever changing needs of society and the planet.

KeyPharm as a sustainable entrepreneur: how do we do it?

1. People

People are our most important resource. It is their motivation, talent, knowledge, expertise and creativity that has made it possible for us to build up such a strong reputation in a relatively short period of time. We wish to offer them job security and attractive conditions of service in a healthy and pleasant working environment. We want to give them the freedom to develop their talents to the full, to expand their knowledge, and to link this knowledge to the creativity and imagination that are necessary to help us succeed in our continuing search for excellence!

At KeyPharm every employee is given equal opportunities. No one is disadvantaged or discriminated against on the grounds of gender, age, ethnic-cultural background, sexual orientation or physical vulnerability.

2. Society

To reflect our commitment to and our involvement with society, KeyPharm regularly makes donations to good causes and we support local communities through sponsoring. At least 2% of our annual profits are gifted to worthwhile projects or charitable organisations. In this way, we can ensure that our commercial success is also translated into a positive contribution for society as a whole.

In addition, KeyPharm participates on a continual basis in social employment projects, such as sheltered workshops for people with fewer opportunities in the regular job market.

3. Planet

For the development of our products, we opt exclusively for the use of natural and sustainable raw materials. We make this visibly transparent on our end products by means of the following labels: EU-bio, Ecogarantie, Vegan Trademark, Clean Label, MSC, Friends Of the Sea and Rainforest Alliance. To make this possible, we work with reliable partners for the creation and production of all our products.

All the raw materials used by KeyPharm are high quality and clean label certified. We always seek natural alternatives, not only for the active components in our products, but also for all ancillary and processing aids and substances. We are convinced that this is the only correct approach that will allow us to combine a maximum of sustainability with a minimum of strain on both people and the planet.

As a company, KeyPharm makes significant investments to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible. In this respect, KeyPharm is a CO2 neutral company. The CO2 Neutral® label is based on the internationally recognized PAS2060 norm. This label can only be obtained by companies that make genuine and serious efforts to improve the climate. In all our day-to-day operations, we consciously devote attention to these matters through the strict sorting of waste products and materials, the use (to a large extent) of green energy derived from wind and sun, and the greatest possible reduction in the use of fossil fuels by our vehicle fleet. We also wish to minimise the negative effects of our wider transport activities on the environment, both in terms of daily commuting to and from work and in our business travel.

We are actively engaged in reducing the amount of packaging materials we use and also devote attention to their recyclability. The sustainability of our packaging is regularly assessed, so that we can identify where further improvements can still be made.

We strive to improve all aspects of our company by listening to feedback from stakeholders. With this aim in mind, we regularly carry out audits of our supply chain and issue questionnaires to our suppliers, employees and customers, in order to gain greater insights into their experiences with sustainability and the environment in relation to our operations. Based on these insights, we then investigate ways in which we can together improve matters still further.