R.M.Williams announces B Corp(TM) certification and releases inaugural sustainability playbook

A commitment to operating consciously, fairly and sustainably has been prevalent throughout the brand’s 92-year history, with a greater focus of sustainability being freshly fortified under the stewardship of owners Andrew and Nicola Forrest. The B Corp certification formally acknowledges the brand’s positive impact across the categories of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers, with R.M.Williams achieving a total score of 88.6.

The brand has simultaneously launched its inaugural Sustainability Playbook, which provides progress updates, evolved goals and further transparency on the holistic sustainability approach set out in its ‘Crafting a better future’ strategy, launched in late 2022.

B Corp certification places R.M.Williams amongst the ranks of many other sustainable Australian businesses who put positive impact of people, communities and planet at the forefront of their business model. With a total score of 88.6 (compared to an average score of 50.9 for businesses who undergo assessment) R.M.Williams performed particularly well in the Workers and Customers categories, offering fair, safe and healthy working environments for employees, and a conscious level of care for consumers as they interact with the brand, respectively. This deep connection to the people and communities connected to the brand stands true to the belief of founder Reginald Murray ‘RM’ Williams that ‘it’s the people who make a company’.

R.M.Williams also scored highly in the Governance category, showing a strong commitment to transparency and accountability in the realms of ethics, sustainability and social and environmental responsibility. Of the certification, R.M.Williams Chief Sustainability & Strategy Officer Angela Winkle said, “We are immensely proud to have obtained B Corp certification, in recognition of our ‘Crafting a better future’ strategy and the many ways in which we’re enacting positive change in every corner of our business. R.M.Williams was founded on the principles of circularity and quality some 92 years ago, and under the ownership of Andrew and Nicola Forrest, we’ve seen our sustainability journey continue with renewed passion and focus.”

As a future focus, R.M.Williams will look to continually raise its score against all B Corp pillars, with upcoming focuses including an ongoing preferred fibres transition, the removal of all plastic materials from consumer-facing packaging and a continued focus on transparency at every step.

Alongside this exciting announcement, the brand has also released a comprehensive Sustainability Playbook which offers insights, progress updates and objectives following the 2022 launch of the brand’s ‘Crafting a better future’ strategy. The document focuses on the three core missions of said strategy: to shape Australian craftsmanship, to make regenerative products and to craft products that endure. Across each pillar, several sub focuses are laid out with clear, quantitative goals and progress updates achieved against target timelines.

Highlights from the Sustainability Playbook include:

Further work to close the cycle on the brand’s iconic boots, including the national roll out of the boot recycling program that saw 2,800 pairs of boots recycled in 2023, the Re.Made program that takes back well-worn boots and refurbishes them for resale, and the brand’s ever-successful Repairs program which accounts for 1 pair of boots for every 10 sold in the last 12 months.

Of the Sustainability Playbook, R.M.Williams Chief Executive Office Paul Grosmann commented, “This resource allows us to be truly transparent with our customers and communities about the work we’re doing to craft a positive impact across every department and region of R.M.Williams. We’re proud of how far we’ve already come since launching the ‘Crafting a better future’ strategy, and we’re excited to share our journey with candour and enthusiasm as we continue to work towards our goals.”

The R.M.Williams Sustainability Playbook is available online now at rmwilliams.com.au