The ultimate goal for the past two years has finally been realised: we have officially been certified as a B CORP BUSINESS in 2024

Some of you may have already known that we were gunning for this, using the last 18 months to sharpen our values and improve our practices (even more than we already had) in order to meet high standards and certify. After beginning the assessment in March of last year, we were announced as certified on June 26th this year with a humble score of 86.2.

For those who don’t know, Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This is a voluntary process that puts a business under strict assessment of its impact on workers, customers, community, and environment. Each company that wants to obtain this certification goes through the same rigorous process of improving their practices. From employee management to waste reduction to carbon footprint to legal changes, B Corp status brings with it the demand for positive change.

We work in an industry that isn’t known for its environmental responsibility – in fact, it’s known for exactly the opposite.

As Nashwhite grew, we continuously faced the toll our business took on not just the environment, but other factors we hadn’t even realised could be impacted. We were not a chain, so we didn't have intricate systems in place to organise and refine every aspect of our business. Nor were we a corporate company, where we had teams of people to manage these aspects and show us what to do. We had ourselves – two guys who wanted to do good but needed direction.

So, we looked around, connecting with reputable businesses within the industry who could offer some insight into retaining our brand while changing its course. This is when we came into conversation with Davines, a sustainable and eco-friendly hair care brand, and they told us about B Corp.

Becoming B Corp certified meant taking a significant step towards achieving our vision of creating a positive impact on the world while maintaining a thriving and sustainable business. Undergoing the comprehensive assessment and meeting these standards meant that we could tangibly demonstrate our commitment to responsible business practices. We were inspired by the global movement of like-minded companies striving to redefine success in business, which added a whole new layer to our reasoning for becoming a B Corporation – allowing us to join forces with a diverse network of purpose-driven organisations, exchanging ideas and best practices to drive positive change collectively.

With this process, we have not only become a ‘good’ business but a business that is accountable for its actions and will have to continuously and consistently meet high global standards.

So, what did we do to get it?

Our Design.

Nashwhite has become renowned for its design-led destinations. After being crowned the Creative Head Best New Salon (2022) and Business Thinker (2023), a short while after opening the Heist House, we thought it would be only right to share the conscious sustainable design choices which, until now, haven’t been mentioned.

Lighting: We installed controllable lighting systems throughout. All of our lights have dimmers to sufficiently create ambience and light the space without all rooms being lit. Timers are set for the outdoor spaces, and LEDs are used throughout the build. It's not just beautifully lit; it serves a purpose.

Water: We always fit every basin with ECOHEADS to reduce our water usage (by about 390 liters of water per chair per day). Moreover, the water waste goes through a bespoke filtration system to separate the disposed color from the water, ensuring we do not contribute to contaminated waterways. All our boilers are electric, and we plan to install 52 solar panels in the summer of 2024 to heat our water, control room temperature, and store power to contribute towards our daily energy usage.

Build: Reclaimed and salvaged materials are not only our aesthetic but also a conscious decision to reduce waste, save on cost, and repurpose our beautiful spaces. This is evident with our 150-year-old salvaged floor throughout our upper studio, internal and external cladding, and free-standing furniture.

Furniture: Fabricated locally to support an independent business (but of course, they are also the best at what they do). If not fabricated or salvaged, then sourced from only B-Corp suppliers, such as Nkuku.

Cladding: Salvaged and repurposed, our Iroko 36mm hardwood cladding is the perfect choice for an aesthetic finish and an excellent source of insulation. This contributed to improving our EPC rating from E to B.

Windows: We installed steel-framed Critall windows throughout the building to not only add curb appeal, but also significantly contribute to our thermal efficiency, helping us achieve an EPC rating of E to B.

Garden: We are committed to a sustainable future by improving the social and environmental well-being of our community through micro interventions, even at a small scale, as seen within our outdoor space. This includes wild meadows to attract native species, bug dens, trees, and carefully selected plants. Take a look at our Re-Wilding Project blog.

*Elevating Impact through Purposeful Partnerships*

Our Brands.

At the heart of our sustainability journey is the careful curation of partnerships with brands that share our commitment to making a difference.

Davines: Where salon meets sustainability.
New Ground: Empowering people through coffee.
Itzi Towels: A better solution to disposable towels.
Decent Packaging: A greener approach to disposables.
Who Gives a Crap: Saving the world, one wipe at a time.
Lemonaid + ChariTea: Each bottle contains only organic ingredients and is Fairtrade-certified.
Greenly: Our accountability platform and carbon footprint calculator.

The brands we work with fortify our commitment to being sustainable and purpose driven, with each relationship bringing huge positive impacts to the table. From increasing the biodiversity of the planet, empowering people from vulnerable communities, and tackling the global sanitation crisis to reducing energy costs and landfill waste, we use our connections to achieve things we couldn’t dream of doing alone.

All in all, more than half of our suppliers have one thing in common: B Corp certification. The other half? Well, they’re not doing too bad either. Our shower heads reduce water and energy usage by up to 65% *, our EPIC cakes are made by a local woman-owned powerhouse that uses fresh + local ingredients, and we’re even on a green future energy tariff with British Gas.

Our People.

Our sustainability journey extends to our employees – the heart and soul of our salon. To ensure that we attract like-minded individuals and guide our existing staff members into our way of working, we needed to create a sense of purpose that would instil pride and motivation in our team as a whole. By integrating the B Corp framework into our existing plan we began to foster a culture of shared values, adopting sustainable practices while prioritising the well-being of our employees to create a cohesive system that didn’t require compromise.

After designing an Employee Wellness booklet to promote a healthy work-life balance, personal development, and a comprehensive support system that addresses every aspect of their mental and physical well-being, we introduced two additions for our employees:

Paid Leave for Social & Environmental Contribution: Every employee receives two additional paid days leave for charity work (such as helping us with our Re-Wilding Project or volunteering).
Good Deeds Bonus: Every employee who participates in additional charity initiatives and other acceptable ‘good deeds’ work gets included in our Good Deeds Bonus scheme, where they receive up to 1.5% of our business profits at the end of the financial year.

We believe that good deeds should be rewarded and that contributing to societal and environmental initiatives is enriching for everyone, not just our employees. The fact that our people become more aligned with our values through these additions is a huge perk for us, and helps us to live and breathe our mission from the very core of our processes. We hope to inspire other businesses to contribute to a more sustainable future that considers and benefits their people as well.

Our submission encapsulated a journey where sustainability was not just a checkbox, but an ethos that drove every decision we made. Attaining B Corp certification was testament to our belief that beauty can coexist harmoniously with a commitment to the planet. Now, we are on a relentless pursuit of a greener and cleaner future, and hope to re certify in 2027 with an even better score.