AWWA is a B Corp certified organisation
In June 2022, AWWA Period Care became a B Corp certified business. B Corp Certification means that AWWA has met the highest standards in social and environmental impact. We have joined 63 other B Corp businesses in NZ.
"We are so thrilled to announce our B Corp Certification. It is testament to our hard work and dedication to looking after papatūānuku and the communities in which our business operates. We are committed to the ongoing journey of continuous improvement that comes with the responsibility of the B Corp badge, and being accountable for the decisions we make that impact our environment and society."
- Kylie Matthews. AWWA Pou Manawataki / COO&CFO
Certifying as a B Corp organisation has always been important to us.
Since inception we have put planet and people first in all of our decision making, from the materials we use, our fully traceable supply chain, donating product to those experiencing period poverty, and ensuring our employees are paid fairly. Achieving B Corp status recognises everything that is important to us and part of the kaupapa of AWWA.
Being a B Corp enables us to be part of a community of like minded businesses from a range of sectors, providing us with opportunities to see how we can make further improvements to our operations and business models.
Our B Corp business is unique.
As an indigenous business our kaupapa is firmly rooted in indigenous traditions and reconnecting people to their cycles, and the planet
We set out to grow AWWA into a thriving, value based enterprise that deeply cares for the environment and benefits communities, including our staff and those who can not afford period products.
We are particularly proud of our designed to give programme which sees us donating 2% of our annual revenue (by way of product donations) to NGOs and charities throughout NZ to help eradicate period poverty.
AWWA is a climate positive for business operations. This means that we offset all emissions from when product leaves our factories to when it arrives at our customers front door.
B Corps want to help transform our economy to one that is inclusive, sustainable, and regenerative.
AWWA would love to see traceable supply chains become the norm. Where every business displays who is responsible for each part of the supply chain – from the fields the cotton is picked in, through to where the garments are completed.
Every apparel company to use organic cotton and recycled nylon in their garments- no new nylon is produced again! There is enough in circulation to be recycled and reused, we just need to ensure that the facilities to effectively recycle these materials are created, and readily accessible on every continent so the materials do not have to be transported long distances (further adding to their footprint).
Another business practice we would love to see become the norm is a full circular economy for our garments. We need to work on end of life solutions for our products to ensure that they do not end up in landfills
A message for other businesses wanting to get B Corp certification.
Don't give up! It is a lengthy process but 100% worth it. The B Corp team offer invaluable help and support so reach out to them. Going through the certification process enabled us to identify many areas where AWWA could make small changes that had a big impact, and to identify other areas of improvement so we could set achievable goals around these.
