17 years ago, in the United States, three friends disappointed in business created B Lab (with a 'b' for profit). The non-profit organization sought to create a new economy in which companies not only sought financial success but to share it.
Today it is present in 96 countries, in 162 sectors, and 8,200 companies have passed its certification process after measuring their economic, social, and environmental impact. More than 100 companies are certified, of which more than 100 are in Mexico, where the initiative arrived in 2016. The self-assessment tool is now in its sixth version, and another is on the way. "Right now we are working on what will be a new evolution, in a global open consultation, so that the different audiences of interest can give their feedback," says Javier Herrero, director of Sistema B México, the organization that B Lab authorized to promote the movement in the region. System B has programs to guide companies on their improvement path towards certification. Among the pillars that the tool measures are governance (purpose and mission), the relationship with its workers, and the community that surrounds them. Once they achieve certification, it is valid for three years after which, if they want to maintain it, they must undergo a new evaluation. The process involved making changes at all levels of the company, from its corporate governance, logistics operations, work culture, to decision making. The first change even meant modifying its articles of incorporation. The raw material that Grupo SAD discarded was sold to cement companies that used it as fuel. Now it goes to a certified company that treats it ecologically, and you have to pay for it. The company is undergoing its fourth recertification as Company B. It is dedicated to commercial and industrial packaging printing, and graphic arts. The firm is based in the city of Córdoba, in the northern part of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.