5 Admirable Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate citizenship means a company embodies values that go beyond the bottom line. Examples of social responsibility initiatives a company may adopt include:

Environmentally conscious materials production

Companies search for sustainable and fully traceable products and know the environmental impact of each stage of manufacturing.

Organic raw materials

Organic crops avoid the use of potentially harmful pesticides, promoting safety for workers and for the end consumer.

Cruelty-free

Companies may commit to avoiding animal testing during product development.

Ethical materials sourcing

Companies may seek out materials made by manufacturers with fair hiring and labor practices and transparent supply chain logistics.

Local community investment

This can look like generating manufacturing facilities locally or acquiring products and services from the country or community where the company is located. It can also include employees and company officers participating in local volunteer efforts.

Charitable giving

A company may generate a percentage of profits to national or local charities that support their other CSR initiatives or even match gifts pledged by individual employees. Often, these investments can pay dividends in consumer loyalty.

Consumers make decisions about how to spend their money based on a variety of factors. According to a study conducted by IBM and the National Retail Federation, “57% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impact” while “71% indicated that traceability is very important [and] are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it.”

When considering the results of this study, it’s clear a majority of those surveyed worry about the environmental impact of the products they buy. A customer who wants to buy a cup of coffee on the way to work may hope for sustainability at all levels of production, from the contents of the paper of the coffee cup to the labor practices of the farmers who grow the beans. Companies may find it equally valuable to consider their most thoughtful consumers along with ways to increase profitability.

Ultimately, it’s most important for a company to actually implement socially sustainable practices in lieu of making hollow promises that look good in press releases. Consumers are likely to employ healthy skepticism to announcements that aren’t followed up with quantifiable results.

Whatever their motivation, companies who implement socially responsible practices often receive positive press and can help set an example for other companies to follow. Independent organizations such as B-Lab exist to evaluate and judge the organizations’ efforts. B-Lab assigns a numerical score and possible B Corp Certification based on a variety of factors. Companies that value corporate citizenship often work to achieve a B Corp Certification. A searchable database and detailed criteria give potential business partners and consumers measurable data.

Let’s look at some specific corporate social responsibility examples and consider what company practices can inspire trust in consumers.

The Lego Group

The Lego Group is known by kids and adults the world over for its simple building blocks that lead to limitless imaginative possibilities. Tiny plastic pieces fit together to create buildings, fantasy creatures, towers, and whatever the player can dream up. Lego believes in the power of play for children, and its corporate citizenship examples focus on helping children in a wide variety of circumstances.

RE:CODE is an initiative that gives children LEGO bricks to think about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) subjects. They imagine and create robotics and modeling to help solve real-world sustainability problems.

Play Days bring colleagues and their children from around the world together to play together and get to experience cultures and languages other than their own.

Where children are victims of war and natural disasters, LEGO’s Emergency Relief Response Policy provides relief and support in partnership with the LEGO Foundation.

LEGO’s environmental sustainability practices include a form of recycling where LEGO bricks are passed from one consumer family to another. The company also has stated packaging and manufacturing goals. By 2030, they intend to make reimagined LEGO products from renewable or recycled resources with sustainable chemistry practices. By 2025, the company hopes to make all their packaging from renewable or recycled materials and make it easier for consumers to recycle the packaging themselves.

Working with the World Wide Fund for Nature, LEGO is developing practices to reduce its carbon footprint in all manufacturing and logistics.

Patagonia, Inc.

Patagonia sells outdoor clothing and gear in retail stores and through their website. The company’s vested interest in the earth’s natural spaces means its corporate citizenship is focused on environmental impact and preservation. Since 1985, it pledged 1% of profits towards the preservation and restoration of natural spaces. It’s identified as a “self-imposed Earth tax.” The company has donated $89 million to environmental organizations that invest in their local communities. Yvon Chouinard, the company’s founder, created a nonprofit to encourage other companies to join the same cause and commit to grassroots efforts on behalf of the planet’s health.

To get individual customers involved in the movement, Patagonia’s website identifies opportunities for activism via Patagonia Action Works, and hosts a blog to identify critical environmental concerns. Additionally, Patagonia chooses athletes like surfers and rock climbers as part of its Global Sports Activists program, supporting athletes who use their platform to amplify environmental causes.

Avocado Green Mattress

In order to stand out in the sea of home delivery mattress purveyors, Avocado Green Mattress sells a product that meets many sustainable criteria. The mattresses are designed in New Jersey and manufactured in California, of 100% organic certified natural materials grown on the company’s farms.

In 2019’s sustainability report, Avocado commits to further efforts to practice corporate social responsibility by creating a fair and equitable workplace where employees are supported to do good in their own spheres of influence. Through an initiative called 1% For the Planet, Avocado helps fund environmentally focused nonprofits and works towards carbon neutrality and clean power usage by offsetting carbon emissions 100%.

Employees receive living wages, health benefits (including mental health services), and paid volunteer days for serving in their communities.

Ben & Jerry’s

Since 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has been making quality ice cream in a huge variety of flavors. It’s sold nationwide in grocery and convenience stores and at Ben & Jerry’s storefront shops. In 1985, the company established The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation to engage employees in community causes. Ben & Jerry’s has been known for both its few-ingredient ice cream and its corporate social responsibility focus since.

The company operates according to a three-part mission: to make a quality product, to operate the company to allow for sustainable growth, and to affect social change on a variety of fronts. The social mission includes clearly stated issues of focus: GMO food labeling, racial justice, climate justice, LGBT equality, refugee assistance, and others.

In partnership with non-profits and influential organizations representing each of these causes, Ben & Jerry’s actively invites customers and employees to join with them to fight for social justice and environmental sustainability. The website hosts dozens of articles to help consumers educate themselves on the issues the company cares about.

TOMs

From its founding day, TOMs shoes set out its social responsibility goals: For each pair of shoes sold, TOMs would donate a pair to someone in need. Since then the company’s giving philosophy has evolved to a one-third donation to its “Grassroots Good” program. The program focuses on giving to identified community needs. The company believes the greatest needs can be met by supporting organizations that know and understand each community best.

For the broader mission, TOMs supports three main social justice reforms: promoting mental health, ending gun violence, and increasing access to opportunity. More than just grants, TOMs sets up partnerships for a longer-term investment in the organizations they support.

On the manufacturing front, TOMs environmental goals include a commitment to source 100% sustainable cotton by 2025, expand its earthwise initiative to use more products from earth-friendly materials and manufacturing processes, source 100% of its packaging from sustainable forests and ensure it’s made with 80% recycled content, and continue to reduce its carbon footprint with frequent accountability audits.

With passionate people at the helm, companies often create ethical initiatives that work towards environmentally sustainable practices, philanthropy, and community involvement. If you feel inspired by this work, join the movement with a career in corporate social responsibility.