The UK recycling and waste management provider achieved an impressive B Impact Score of 103.5, comfortably exceeding the 80-point threshold required for certification and more than doubling the median score of companies completing the assessment.
This coincides with B Corp Month, the annual global campaign celebrating businesses meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The B Corp movement, led by B Lab, now includes over 10,000 certified organisations across over 100 countries and 160 industries, from multinational brands such as Danone and Patagonia to thousands of SMEs.
This year’s recertification arrives at a pivotal moment. In 2026, B Lab introduced the most significant update to the B Corp standards since their launch in 2006, replacing the previous flexible scoring model with a new framework requiring companies to meet mandatory performance thresholds across several impact areas.
Recycling Lives Services maintained its triple-digit score following assessment across key areas including governance, environmental performance and social impact.
Its business model combines commercial recycling operations with programmes designed to support people facing barriers to employment. Through its national infrastructure, Recycling Lives Services works with businesses across sectors like construction, infrastructure, manufacturing and retail, including Tier One contractors such as Amey and Wates.
Construction is one of the UK’s largest waste-generating sectors, increasing the need for transparent recycling systems and responsible materials management across major projects.
Environmental performance sits at the heart of the company’s operations. Recycling Lives Services currently achieves 97% diversion from landfill, delivering a 61% reduction in operational CO₂ emissions, and has processed over 12.5 million batteries for recycling.
Alongside environmental progress, it has developed a strong focus on social value. Its rehabilitation and employment programmes, particularly those supporting ex-offenders and individuals facing barriers to work, have helped thousands of people access training and employment opportunities. These initiatives have also contributed to lower reoffending rates among programme participants compared to the national average.
The recertification reflects a wider shift across industry supply chains. Businesses are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable environmental and social impact alongside commercial performance, particularly as social value now carries a minimum 10% weighting in central government procurement and can reach 20–30% in some local authority frameworks.
Lucas Hargreaves, Projects Director at Recycling Lives Services, told That's Green that the certification represents more than a benchmark.
“B Corp certification provides an important benchmark for responsible business, but for us it reflects something deeper about how we operate. Our model has always been built on the idea that environmental performance and social impact should be embedded within commercial operations rather than treated as separate initiatives.”
Looking ahead, Recycling Lives Services plans to continue investing in circular economy infrastructure and programmes that link environmental performance with meaningful social outcomes, helping businesses partner with waste management providers capable of delivering both operational efficiency and genuine impact.
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