Vital Proteins® is B Corp™ Certified

by Lively Blog Editors - December 08, 2022

It’s official! We’re happy to announce that Vital Proteins® is now a B Corp™ Certified business!

We’re so proud to be part of a small but growing number of brands that have met the high standards of social and environmental impact assessed through the B Lab™ B Impact Assessment -a rigorous review of our impact on our workers, customers, communities and environment.

Vital Proteins is proud to join a global community of businesses that are a force for good. We know that this is just the beginning for us and that we have more work to do. The beauty of becoming a B Corp is that it pushes us to stay accountable, continuously evaluate our performance and show our progress over time.
— Tracey Warner Halama, CEO at Vital Proteins

What to expect in this article

B Lab™ B Impact Assessment Highlights
What does B Corp certified mean?
What sets B Corp™ certified businesses apart from other non-B Corp certified organizations?
Why did Vital Proteins make the decision to pursue B Corp certification? Why was/is B Corp certification important to Vital Proteins?
What does Vital Proteins’ B Corp certification mean for its sustainability initiatives and how will it help positively impact the planet?
Does Vital Proteins’ B Corp certification positively impact its employees?

B Lab™ B Impact Assessment Highlights

A few highlights from the 2021 assessment period include:

Over 59% of managerial workers are women
Vital Proteins®’ lowest paid hourly worker is compensated at least 50% more than the federal minimum wage and 33% more than the state minimum wage
More than 50.8% of energy use is produced from low-impact renewable sources
Up to 74% of product and packaging materials is made of recyclable or biodegradable materials in the areas where they are sold

We’re not stopping there either and our ongoing work includes:

Expanding employee monthly wellness stipends beyond gym memberships to include therapy, life coaching, tutoring, financial wellness coaching and healthy food subscriptions
Offering employees two paid service days per year to give back to their communities with over 700 hours volunteered by employees in 2022 to date
Expanding parental leave for both parents beginning in November 2022
A healthcare travel reimbursement benefit, where employees and covered dependents can receive financial support for travel 60+ miles for healthcare-related needs

What’s next? We’re focusing on addressing environmental sustainability through new initiatives. You can get the latest Vital Proteins news, including updates on our progress, here at Lively or on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for updates on our progress.

What does B Corp™ certified mean?

B Corp™ is a third-party certification that authenticates and measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. To become a B Corp, companies must complete a comprehensive B Impact Assessment™, which rigorously evaluates five key areas (see image below). Certified B Corporations, or B Corps are companies verified by B Lab™, the non-profit organization that administers the certifications, reviews and scores each company.

What sets B Corp™ certified businesses apart from other non-B Corp™ certified organizations?

B Corp Certification™ indicates that the company has been third-party certified by the non-profit B Lab™ and voluntarily meets high standards of transparency and accountability to its employees, customers and society at large. In order to maintain B Corporation Certification, Vital Proteins will update their assessment every three years, provide additional documentation to verify our answers, and achieve at least 80 out of 200 available points.

Why did Vital Proteins® make the decision to pursue B Corp™ certification? Why was/is B Corp™ certification important to Vital Proteins?

As a leading wellness company, Vital Proteins® is committed to leaving the wellness industry better than when we joined it. We pursued B Corp™ certification beginning in 2021 to keep us accountable and maintain transparency around our business practices, operations and the broader impact we’re making on the world. While we know we still have more work to do, we’re proud to be part of this growing global community.

What does Vital Proteins®’ B Corp™ certification mean for its sustainability initiatives and how will it help positively impact the planet?

All B Corps™ are reassessed every three years and must demonstrate improvements in their actions to increase their scores in order to retain certification. As a Certified B Corp, Vital Proteins® is demonstrating a commitment to making continuous improvements to our business practices, including reducing our impact on the environment. We recognize we have more work to do and look forward to sharing updates on our progress.

Does Vital Proteins®’ B Corp™ certification positively impact its employees?

B Corp™ certification requires Vital Proteins® to undergo a rigorous review of its impact on its workers and through the B Impact assessment™, we found this is an area we scored highest. In order to be a Certified B Corp, Vital Proteins® had to demonstrate positive employee impact on multiple levels including wages, benefits, training and development opportunities, charitable initiatives, and building a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Vital Proteins® will be reassessed every three years and must demonstrate improvements in our score in order to retain certification, ensuring continuous enhancements to our people approach.