Sodium lauryl sulfate. Ever heard of it? What about cocamidopropyl betaine? Diethanolamine?
These are all ingredients commonly found in household toothpaste, acting as foaming agents (detergents) and preservatives. They are also linked to cell toxicity and/or allergic reactions to a certain extent. All the more reason, then, to start looking for healthier alternatives.
This month’s B Corp Spotlight is one such alternative. Let us introduce you to: Bite.
But first things first: Bite isn’t really “Bite”, it’s “B.I.T.E.” The quick-witted acronym for Because It’s The Earth is a hat-tip to the environmental focus of the company’s founding. In 2016, TV producer and surf/snowboard instructor Lindsay McCormick grew sick of the products she was using day in, day out. She was concerned about the endless plastic waste and harmful ingredients commonly found in store-bought toothpaste brands. To provide a sense of scale for this problem: In 2021 alone, over 20 billion (that’s 20,000,000,000) toothpaste tubes ended up in landfills globally. Spread end-to-end, that’s enough to wrap around the circumference of the Earth almost 125 times over.
As the fire of motivation grew within Lindsay, so did the opportunity to introduce a solution to this grand problem. Her first step? Lindsay proceeded to purchase a tablet press machine: the contraptions that press together common over-the-counter medical pills like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Utilizing formulations for toothpastes she had developed at home, within months Lindsay had her first product samples. Just over a year later, she had a company built around the simple yet impactful mission of reducing both waste and harmful chemicals in dental products.
Bite’s commitment to environmental impact has only grown since. Today, consumers can now select from their portfolio of toothpaste bits, whitening gel, mouthwash bits, floss, deodorant, body balm, and cleansing (bar) soap to replace any less sustainable brands they might find in their bathrooms. Talk about expanding your impact.
Within this period of outstanding growth, Bite decided to further cement their purpose and desired impact, and began working with us here at Everoot. Our time together had several goals: improve their social and environmental performance, get them B Corp Certified, design their Theory of Change, and design and publish their first annual impact report.
After working with us, Bite achieved B Corp Certification in 2022 with an impressive score of 92.1. For the uninitiated in the world of B Corps, it takes a minimum of 80 points to certify, and months, if not years, for most companies to make changes within their company to meet this threshold.
Within this score are the many actions Bite took toward furthering their social and environmental leadership. For example, as part of their certification, Bite:
Became Carbon Neutral by annually offsetting 100% of all carbon emissions and setting goals to reduce their emissions over time.
Committed to continue paying 100% of workers a living wage
Became a Public Benefit Corporation
Formalized goals toward producing all products within recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable packaging
…and much more!
“As a Certified B Corp, we were assessed on some of the highest social and environmental standards worldwide, and now we are expected to uphold these standards and continue to improve over time.” - Bite
If you’d like a further look into Bite’s overall impact, keep an eye out for our next post here. We’ll soon be diving into Bite’s Annual Impact Report to highlight the key characteristics of this end-of-year practice.
In the meantime, visit Bite’s website if you’re looking to make a sustainable change in the oral hygiene department. And, if you’re curious about the benefits of being a B Corp and what it would take for your business to achieve B Corp Certification, reach out to us here at Everoot to schedule a free consultation.
Sources:
Tabatabaei MH, Mahounak FS, Asgari N, Moradi Z. Cytotoxicity of the Ingredients of Commonly Used Toothpastes and Mouthwashes on Human Gingival Fibroblasts. Front Dent. 2019 Nov-Dec;16(6):450-457. doi: 10.18502/fid.v16i6.3444. Epub 2019 Dec 20. PMID: 33089246; PMCID: PMC7569277.
(2022) Colgate launches groundbreaking recyclable toothpaste tube with ... Available at: https://www.colgatepalmolive.com/en-us/who-we-are/stories/recyclable-toothpaste-tube-recycle-me-packaging-us (Accessed: 31 October 2023).
https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/the-kind-lab-pbc-dba-bite-toothpaste-bits/
Comments