Harrogate Spring Water wins B Corp accreditation to show its green credentials

Harrogate Water says it's delighted to have become the first company in North Yorkshire to win accreditation from the worldwide B Corp movement committed to building a more inclusive, greener and sustainable economy.
Staff at Harrogate Spring Water celebrate winning B Corp accreditation.Staff at Harrogate Spring Water celebrate winning B Corp accreditation.
Staff at Harrogate Spring Water celebrate winning B Corp accreditation.

Worldwide, more than 3,000 companies have become B Corp accredited, forming a global movement of profit-with-purpose businesses, working for a healthier environment, social responsibility and the creation of high-quality employment.

To gain accreditation to this select band involves undergoing a rigorous business impact assessment, which is scored and published online.

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Harrogate Water now joins more than 200 businesses in the UK including The Guardian and The Body Shop who have successfully proven their credentials.

Harrogate Water chief executive James Cain OBE said: “We are proud to be the first company in North Yorkshire to have achieved B Corp accreditation and join a growing global family of inspiring businesses committed to effecting positive change.

“We operate from one of the world’s most environmentally efficient bottling plants, a global centre of excellence and a showcase for the bottled water industry. Our rapid growth in recent years has been achieved because of and not despite our commitment to sustainability and community involvement."

B Corp is more than a snapshot of the here and now; qualifying organisations must commit to positive corporate social responsibility impact in the long term, incorporating transparency and accountability into the business from the shop floor to the boardroom.

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Becoming certified as a B Corporation goes beyond product or business performance indicators, measuring a company’s entire social and environmental footprint and evaluating how business operations impact on colleagues, community, environment and customers in pursuit of sustainable growth.

Harrogate Water has been zero to landfill for a decade, all packaging is 100 per cent recyclable and both glass and PET bottles contain at least 50 per cent recycled content.

The switch to using more than 50 per cent recycled content in PET bottles means a reduction of 1,250 tonnes in greenhouse emissions in a full year.

The company is aiming to use 100 per cent recycled PET by 2025.

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To gain B Corp accreditation involves undergoing a rigorous business impact assessment, which is scored and published online.

James Cain said: “Care for the environment and social responsibility are in our DNA. Harrogate’s unique springs were first discovered in 1571 and we are proud to carry the baton for today’s generation, producing and bottling the most natural and healthiest beverage on the shelf.

“With every step we take to improve our business performance, we seek to mitigate or improve our social and environmental footprint.

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“B Corp accreditation validates our achievements but, more importantly, demonstrates our commitment and passion to sustainability and community involvement in the longer term. We look forward to more sustainable growth, benefiting all of our stakeholders, as part of the B Corp movement.”

In 2019, James Cain was named Director of the Year for Corporate and Social Responsibility by the Institute of Directors Yorkshire and North East and Harrogate Water was awarded the Sustainability Partner of the Year award from UK foodservice giant Brakes.

The company campaigns with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to encourage PET bottle recycling, sponsors the charity’s Eco-Schools programme and works with partners to implement effective PET bottle recycling solutions, including recycling at Royal Ascot and the Betfred British Masters golf tournament.

Harrogate Water is accredited with the international standard ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management.

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The company’s charity brand Thirsty Planet, launched in 2007, has raised £2.3 million for independent British charity Pump Aid, which works with communities in sub-Saharan Africa to establish safe sources of water, improved sanitary conditions and sustainable business and employment opportunities.

Harrogate Water is a founder member of the Natural Source Waters Association (previously National Hydration Council) and is the first member of the association to become B Corp accredited.

UK B Corp businesses include The Body Shop, Innocent Drinks, Bulb Energy and The Guardian.

International food and drink brand Danone, who recently announced it had acquired a majority shareholding in Harrogate Water, has seen several of its subsidiary companies gain such accreditation, including Danone North America and, in the UK, Danone’s fresh dairy products.

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