The Terrace (B Corp)

What makes circular retail actually work? ♻️   During the latest ShoppingTomorrow - Thuiswinkel.org expert group session on Circular Shopping in 2030, we visited i-did and saw how discarded textiles get a second life as new materials and products.   One thing became very clear: The better the original product, the better the circular outcome. Or put differently: fast fashion creates fast waste.   We also had a great discussion about the commercial side of circularity. Because let’s be honest, customers do not buy products just because they are circular. They buy products because they look good, work well and make life easier. Circularity is what makes that choice even better.   A very inspiring session! Thanks Margot Visschers & Floor Hulshof from Route Circulair for facilitating the session and Rogier Hospers & Eva Margarjan - Huijts from i-did for hosting us at their factory and office.

Sustainability has the greatest impact when people understand what it means for their own work. Our colleague Lars Aalders and together with one of our clients, we explored how internal communication and learning can make sustainability more relevant, practical and actionable for employees. Not only did we get to work on this project, we also challenged a group of Honor students from the University of Amsterdam to tackle the brief. They dove into the context, looked at different approaches and presented their ideas. The result: a range of creative and practical concepts, from fresh storytelling approaches to communication formats tailored to different teams and roles. A big thanks to the students from Universiteit van Amsterdam (University of Amsterdam) for the fresh thinking and fun collaboration!  

Things are moving fast. Expectations around sustainability, impact and compliance are evolving almost monthly, and many organisations are still figuring out what actually works in practice. That’s exactly why we’re launching this survey. We want to better understand the real challenges, priorities and opportunities organisations are facing today when it comes to sustainability. No theory, just honest insights from people working on this every day. If sustainability is part of your work (or if you feel like it should be a bigger part of your work), we’d really value your perspective. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Take part here: https://lnkd.in/ebAbKkCA Thanks for contributing. The more perspectives we gather, the more valuable the insights will be.

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 One thing we’re really proud of is our team of experts working to accelerate positive change. We asked our newest colleague Jantine Steinmetz (who already feels like she’s been here forever) a few questions about her work and life outside the office. Swipe to get to know her 👀 Curious how communication can support your organisation, or just fancy a coffee (preferably a cortado, Jantine’s favourite) and a good conversation with Jantine? Feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll be in touch!

Most bottled water travels further than we do. SEA Water decided that made no sense. Huge congrats to the SEA Water team on their B Corp certification, and what a score, very well deserved! Since 2022, they’ve been doing something pretty radical: turning local seawater into high-quality drinking water for retail and horeca. - No long-distance imports. - No compromises on taste. - No chemicals in the process. Just a serious alternative to canned and bottled mineral water crossing borders for no good reason. This is what system change looks like. We are happy to welcome SEA Water to the B Corp Community, and proud we could support them on this journey. Shoutout to Emma Hansson, SEA Water’s Sustainability & Impact Manager, for leading this, with great support from our Anna Vlassov. Want to learn more about how we worked with SEA Water on becoming B Corp? Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/e-J2Apx3

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐮𝐫 We kicked off the creative concept for Stichting Rechten van de Natuur last year, and with them as our Friday office buddies, working together was an absolute pleasure. Pretty quickly, one idea took shape: the Green Chair. A simple but powerful symbol that makes visible what’s often missing in decision-making spaces: a seat for nature at the table where policies are made. This idea evolved into a video that follows nature’s journey to that very table, bringing the concept to life for use in their communications. We’re really happy with how it turned out, and excited to see where the Green Chair will go from here (hopefully to many places where decisions are made). A big shout-out to Hustle Creatives for the fantastic production and AI work and for helping bring it all to life.

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 = 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝? As NU. nl recently reported (https://lnkd.in/eQumfYTE), many unsold items from the markets are simply left behind. Too often, they end up in the garbage and are burned. That’s exactly what Texxie Textiel is tackling, by making it easier (and more top of mind) to do the right thing: niet dumpen, wel droppen.   𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚 360° 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 around that moment. From radio and (digital) out-of-home to social and YouTube. From in-store retail touchpoints to on-the-ground teams in Amsterdam and Arnhem.    All channels working together towards one behaviour shift: return your textiles properly, so they can be reused or recycled. What’s happening in your wardrobe this week and are you dropping your textiles in the textile bin? #TexxieTextiel #TheTerrace Stichting UPV Textiel

The day after King’s Day comes with… adjusted expectations 🫠 So we did what made sense: stepped outside, grabbed a delicious falafel lunch in the sun, and exchanged a few “you had to be there” stories. Safe to say: spirits recovered and we are ready for another productive week!

🌍 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲! Did you know we appointed Mother Nature as our CEO in 2021? Sounds idealistic? It’s actually very down-to-earth. She has billions of years of experience, and we determine our course with her well-being as number one. And a small reminder from our CEO today (because who better to speak on Earth Day?): Think long-term. Work with nature, not against it. 𝘱𝘴. 𝘯𝘰, 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. Mother Nature Community

𝐁 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 Even though it's not B Corp Month anymore, celebrating the community and the companies putting in the work is a year-long thing. So this time in our spotlight: LUMEN | B Corp When they started, there were doubts: • Was the organisation ready for something this broad? • Would it require fundamental change? Fast forward, and the shift is clear. • Impact is no longer a side topic. It’s part of everyday conversations. • Ownership is clearer. • And decisions are challenged with a simple question: “Is this the right thing to do?” We supported Lumen Loyalty in translating ambition into a practical approach and embedding it across the organisation through a B Corp journey. Together with Anna Vlassov, Manon Blom shares reflections and lessons for companies considering the same path. Swipe through the slides to read the interview.