Social Change Headquarters is thrilled to congratulate James Kokkinos and the team at GeoWise on becoming a certified B Corp!
James is an Australian business owner based in Shanghai who is breaking new ground in China by offering compostable packaging solutions made from sugarcane waste that would otherwise be discarded. GeoWise was established in Shanghai in 2019 and the founders have over 15 years of experience in food packaging manufacturing and its international supply. James is a passionate advocate for the environment and is striving to create a carbon neutral future.
B Corp – a whole of business approach
Passionate about using business to create positive impact, James approached Social Change Headquarters to learn more about the B Corp framework and the rigorous process involved in becoming a certified B Corp. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
“For GeoWise, B Corp certification was particularly appealing because it is beyond a product or service-level certification. We loved that it assesses the overall positive impact of a company and knew that was the right fit for GeoWise”, James said.
GeoWise offers a range of degradable packaging products including bags, cups, lids and packaging boxes. These products are plastic-free and instead made from bagasse paper (sugarcane pulp). Every ton of bagasse paper used can save 24 trees and avoid 2,540 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.
The journey to achieving zero waste
GeoWise has now also established one of China's first composting services, with the aim of moving to zero waste. They realised that there is a shortage of end-of-life compost facilities for the packaging in China and introduced the Australian patented technology, BiobiN. With the powerful combination of BiobiN compost technology and compostable packaging, GeoWise is hoping to build a sustainable circular economy.
“BiobiN is a clean and efficient organic waste composting management system that allows users to compost not only GeoWise packaging but any organic waste. BiobiN’s technology is unlike any other compost bins on the market in China”, James said.
Check out their overview video here to learn more.
As testament to their commitment to creating positive change, GeoWise qualified for two ‘Impact Business Models’ under the B Corp framework. These models are intentionally designed to give a specific positive outcome for one of the company’s stakeholders. GeoWise’s compostable solutions specifically work to reduce environmental impact as every tonne of organic waste put into BiobiN helps offset the environmental impact of a car for a year. They also donate 20% of their profits to charities as part of the “Designed to Give” model.
To become Certified B Corps, companies must achieve a minimum score of 80 on the B Impact Assessment — a rigorous assessment of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community and the environment. GeoWise earned an overall score of 94.7. The median score for ordinary businesses who complete the assessment is 50.9.
Social Change HQ is proud to have worked with the GeoWise team on this exciting journey.
Interested in considering B Corp certification for your business? Contact Social Change Headquarters for a free 30 min chat to learn more about B Corp and whether it’s right for your business.
Get in touch here