B-Corp

What is B-Corp?

A B-Corporation business is one that goes the extra mile when it comes to being sustainable and eco-friendly. The certification labels an organisation as meeting the highest social and environmental standard of living and working for people and the planet. Only 3500 businesses in the world, spread across 70 countries, have this certification. B-Corp is very hard to get, with a business having to go through a long assessment process and needing to meet lots of different requirements, so it is a huge achievement.

How did we achieve our B-Corp status?

To become a B. Corp, Tops were assessed and audited against demanding standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. We made a number of company-wide changes, including installing more solar panels across all our buildings, using a fully electric van fleet and replacing our gas boilers. When thinking about sustainability in practice, we started using washable and reusable nappies, making our own baby wipes and introducing more vegan and vegetarian meals for the children.

Our Vegan and Vegetarian Menus

Our vegan and vegetarian meals are great for the children. They are full of the nutrients and energy a child needs, and are made from sustainably sources foods. The children also grow their own fruit and vegetables in the garden that are eaten at meal and snack times. This shows them that growing your own produce not only saves money, but is often more eco-friendly that buying it from supermarkets. Another benefit of our healthy menus is that parents can feel at ease knowing their little ones are receiving healthy meals and snacks while at nursery.

Tops Glitter Ban

Becoming more sustainable has always been at the heart of everything we do at Tops, back in 2017, we banned the use of glitter across all our nurseries after finding out it was a micro-plastic and learning the damaging effects it has on the planet, especially our oceans. Click here to read our glitter ban blog, or check out our BBC News report!

Sustainability for Colleagues

B-Corp businesses are also assessed on their sustainability towards employees. One thing that really benefits colleagues is the Company Profit Sharing Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to encourage colleagues to work together towards shared goals, and to allow all team members to share the success of the company.

We also have a Cycle to Work Scheme available for colleagues to take part in. The company provides an interest-free loan of up to £1000 to allow colleagues to purchase a bike and/or cycling accessories to use for work. This encourages colleagues to use more sustainable modes of transport that help to protect our environment.

What other companies have B-Corp Certification?

Only 3500 businesses worldwide have achieved a B-Corp status, including our sister company, Aspire Training Team. Other businesses with this certification include The Body shop, Rituals Cosmetics and Jamie Oliver. Find out more here.