UK’s top-scoring B Corp recognised for its ethical and sustainability achievements at the 2022 Global Good Awards
The Oxford-based Y.O.U Underwear label start-up won the award – which is open to any business or start-up enterprise with a purpose driven product or service and a holistic approach to innovative and leadership – for being the UK’s top scoring B Corp and its overall commitment to ethical practices and sustainability.
Y.O.U Underwear makes Fairtrade, PETA-approved vegan organic underwear for women, men and girls. With a commitment to ‘Changing the World One Pair of Pants at a Time’, their model is centred on a buy-one give-two promise, meaning that for every pair of Y.O.U. underwear bought, they donate two pairs to vulnerable women and children across Africa and the UK. Working with one of India’s leading ethical and sustainable manufacturers, they are also committed to ensuring those in their supply chain are paid and treated fairly and that the company has a positive environmental impact. The products are made from Fairtrade and GOTS-certified organic cotton and are packaged in reusable organic cotton bags.
The team of three has achieved B Corp status for their small business and was recognised by B Corporation as one of the ‘Best for the World’ in 2022. The Global Good Awards’ judges said: “Y.O.U. Underwear is a great example of a start-up bringing fresh thinking to the table to help tackle global issues and be a force for good. We were looking for a range of factors in this category, from the enterprise’s goals and ethos to environmentally friendly business practices and employee and supply chain wellbeing. With their high B Corp score in the UK and status as the top fashion B Corp globally, Y.O.U. Underwear was the clear front runner; we were also excited by the overall initiative, the impact they’d achieved to date as well as their potential scalability. We can’t wait to see where the enterprise goes next!”
