B Corp certification is a framework that assesses a company’s performance across multiple areas, including social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
An organisation called B Lab evaluates eligible businesses by measuring their social and environmental impact.
At Marco Beverage Systems, we’re proud to be part of a community of businesses that promote social responsibility and sustainability.
B Corp certification matters to us because it allows us to deliver high-quality equipment while helping us fulfil our mission to reimagine a sustainable future and create excellent beverage experiences everywhere.
What does it mean to be a certified B Corp?
There are over 8,000 certified B Corps – around 1,900 in the UK and over 2,000 in the USA and Canada.
The certification is particularly relevant in the specialty coffee industry as roasters, importers, and producers are often geographically distant but have close relationships with one another. Ultimately, B Corp certification ensures that high standards and expectations are set across the global coffee supply chain.
“The coffee industry stands at a crisis point, and initiatives like B Corp can only be a good thing to make us act, collectively, right now,” says Will Sowerby, Content and Communications Lead at Pact Coffee.
As part of the certification process, our performance was reviewed in five “impact areas”: governance, workers, community, the environment, and customers.
To become a B Corp, a company must receive an Impact Score of 80 or higher. In November 2023, we received an overall B Impact Score of 91.2 and became fully B Corp certified in January 2024.
How B Corp Impacts A Business
Through the B Corp certification process we sought out several ways to make our business operations more caring, equitable, and sustainable.
To date, we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 54% from 1906 tonnes of CO2 recorded in H1 2022 to 717 tonnes recorded in H2 2023.
Giving a total reduction of 2801 tonnes of CO2 in 18 months. This was all done through internal process improvements with no carbon credits being purchased. In addition, Marco utilises a means of waterless testing in our production.
This allows us to test many of our machines without water, or the energy required to heat water. Marco is one of the few manufacturing businesses to implement this process, which has been verified both through a case study with peer companies and being recognised as an Environmentally Innovative Manufacturing Process by B Corp – a very rare achievement.
We also made the decision to support local initiatives that align with our objective to being a force for good. Marco is currently supporting the Nature Trust to plant 1 hectare of native woodland in Ireland.
From the early phase these woodlands will support a wide variety of pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies, and moths, as well as some bird and mammal species. As the woodlands mature, they will continue to provide an environment for a variety of birds, plants, and animals to thrive.
The woodlands will also be open access for public recreation, aiding overall health, well-being, and enjoyment for the surrounding community and beyond.
Collaborating with other B Corps
Beyond this, our B Corp certification also shows other businesses in the industry that we have been independently verified according to a high set of standards. This, in turn, allows us to collaborate with other organisations who hold similar values and standards.
Will says that this is important for roasters like Pact Coffee: “We know that we can have much more of an impact by working together with other like-minded businesses. “When we see that B Corp stamp, we know that a business has been through vigorous assessment to make sure that they’re operating responsibly.”
During B Corp month in March 2024, Marco launched the B Giving Group – an initiative that will see us donating to charity 1% of orders placed to Marco by fellow B Corp certified companies. Marco will make this donation in January 2025. Joining the B Corp community can also be good for business.
According to B Lab, B Corps were more likely to grow their revenue and worker base between 2019 and 2021, compared to organisations without the certification.
What does B Corp certification mean for the coffee industry?
Many coffee roasters see the B Corp community as a way to both ensure they are a force for good and grow their business at the same time. Having also recently received B Corp certification, Cork City-based Velo Coffee Roasters has found common ground with Marco.
“Both Velo and Marco are striving for continual improvement across their businesses, which is key for B Corps,” says Suzanne Casey, General Manager at Velo. “Velo similarly hopes to bring people and communities together one coffee at a time through local projects at origin and in Ireland.” With ethics increasingly at the forefront of purchasing decisions, particularly among younger consumer demographics, it has never been more important to provide ethically sourced products.
Much like Suzanne, Sarah Walker – the Sustainability Manager at Origin Coffee – says the certification has delivered tangible impact for their business:
“Partnering and working with other B Corps like Marco Beverage Systems also makes the B Corp presence stronger, making it more visible and accessible to customers, spreading the message further, and inspiring change in everyday lives,” she explains.
Ultimately, by working with certified suppliers, roasters and coffee shops can verify to their customers that their operations are sustainable and ethical. Many B Corp coffee businesses even find that receiving the certification pushes them to review and improve their sustainability policies further.
“It’s more important than ever to practise transparency and continuously seek improvement,” Sarah explains. “We are going to experience many challenges as climate change affects the way that crops grow, how products are shipped, and how businesses operate.” The B Corp framework can guide long-term business strategy as well. Shelby Colley, Head of Marketing at Equator Coffee, discusses how vital it was to the continued growth of their business. “We became a B Corp before we opened our cafés, but our company was already growing rapidly and it was clear that our founders could no longer personally make every decision.
“The B Corp framework gives clear guidance to the next generation of decision makers for moving forward holistically and sustainably.” Shelley also found that the accreditation has helped establish highly impactful relationships across the industry.
“Collaborating with like-minded organisations amplifies Equator’s impact, strengthens supply chain integrity, and enhances market differentiation. These partnerships foster a culture of learning and innovation that enables Equator to advance its mission of promoting sustainability and responsible business practices.”
How Marco products help coffee businesses meet sustainability goals
To achieve truly sustainability, coffee businesses need to assess every level of their operations – from the products they serve to the equipment they use. But energy efficiency doesn’t just enhance your sustainability efforts – it also saves money.
Take the example of the Ecoboiler – which has a small environmental footprint, and is up to 45% more energy-efficient than other boilers. At a time where energy costs remain high for hospitality businesses, this has never been more important.
Similarly, the MIX hot water system reduces energy consumption for the hospitality sector thanks to its patented, vacuum-insulated tank, which is up to 70% more energy efficient than other similar products. As well as being efficient, it is also versatile – offering three temperature points at three different volumes to brew a wide range of drinks on demand.
Finally, our FRIIA water delivery system provides sparkling drinks on tap, making it a perfect way to reduce the waste from disposable water bottles which would otherwise be sold by coffee shops. Ultimately, these products all demonstrate our commitment to balancing beverage excellence and technical innovation with long-term sustainability.
We’re delighted that this has been further recognised with the B Corp certification in 2024, and look forward to partnering with more brands who seek to change the coffee industry for the better.