Wood for Good and why achieving B Corp status means so much

In October 2022, pgg received the news that Wood for Good, their social enterprise focused on repurposing wood while giving proceeds to charity, has achieved official B Corp status. And it meant so much.

As a B Corp, pgg joins a community of almost 500 companies in Australia and New Zealand and more than 5,000 globally who believe in the power of business as a force for good.

What are B Corps?
B Corps are companies that seek to balance profit with purpose and must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The B Corp movement aims to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. Key to this is that B Corps are legally required to consider the interests of all stakeholders in decision making.

Why B Corp matters
Pursuing B Corp certification was a natural step for pgg. Having a positive impact on the community, environment and their customers has been at the heart of their business since it began.

Wood for Good started six years ago as a means to recycle and repurpose the wood harvested from Project Green Group’s (pgg) tree removal projects. All suitable wood is repurposed into a range of firewood products, providing the ideal way to minimise waste. Proceeds from these sales are donated to charities within Australia and internationally.

Last year, as well as donating 100% of Wood for Good profits, ppg also gave wood chips and sawdust to the Botanic Gardens and schools in South Australia, valued at over $230,000.

The Journey
Becoming a B Corp is a complex and rigorous process. B Corp certification goes beyond a product or service-level certification, it examines your entire company ‒ meaning every part of pgg business operations was put under the microscope.

The assessment measures a business’ impact in five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. This required gathering and collating information, documentation, amending policies and formalising existing operations. pgg undertook a commitment to donate at least 20% of our profits to DGR status charities but have proudly donated 100% of profits each year since launching in 2014.

pgg were awarded B Corp status with a score of 84. You can view the full impact assessment here.

It’s Just the Beginning
pgg will look ahead now to gaining B Corp status for two of their other companies, Project Green and Austral Tree Services. These services are focused on preserving and regenerating nature through a range of initiatives including green asset mapping and management, nature education programs and vegetation consulting.