Let's grow together in 2023

At the beginning of 2022, I shared our goals for the year ahead, one of which included becoming a net positive company, meaning we give back more than we take across all aspects of the business. This covers our impact on the planet, our people and our partners both up and down the supply chain, reaching our customers and our community and impacting the planet for good.

And so, receiving B Corp accreditation earlier this year was one of my proudest moments in our business journey. B Corp is one of the most demanding certifications that evaluates brands & social and environmental impact, with over 300 questions about governance, workers, communities and impact. B Corp is a global movement of people using business as a force for good, and we are extremely happy to be a part of that change.

Our B Corp accreditation is so much more than just a symbol or a pat on the back. It represents the many ways we live our values - from pushing hard to get our entire product range Ecocert accredited, to doing our best to create a work environment where we honour our people and their contribution, to constantly trying to source the greenest packaging technology available - which includes taking bets on it, even if it is very early stage technology.

Sustainability is a holistic, all- encompassing commitment to a better future. It's not always easy, or cheap, or without difficulties. But it is always, always worth it. And we've come a long way. As well as looking forward, looking back I feel so much pride at our collective achievements since the days of creating soaps by hand in my kitchen over 13 years ago.

Our 2023 plans involve the development of our very own regenerative farm, which we have just bought one mile from the factory. Over the last couple of years we have gotten Ecocert/Cosmos natural accreditation for all of our products - Leaping Bunny, Vegan Society and most recently we have become a B Corp company. We have developed the world's first compostable refill pouch for liquid soap, and a natural deodorant in a compostable tube. We are constantly ahead of the pack, driving our green credentials and investing heavily in this area because it's the right thing to do. But still, it's not enough.

We are always striving to find a better way to do things, a better way forward. Some of the most imminent challenges we face are around land use and soil degradation and its effect on water quality, our food security and carbon sequestration. Today, tomorrow, next year and into the future, we'll face everything head on with our best foot forward.

The Handmade Soap Company has bought a farm to try and answer all of these questions, and more. We put our money where our mouth is! So we are going to try to prove the answer is yes in 2023. Come along for the journey.

Happy New Year, here's to a brilliant 2023.