Modern spectacle maker Cubitts has today announced its certification as a B Corporation. Awarded based on merit of meeting social and environmental standards, Cubitts has become part of a global community of 6,279 certified businesses and one of 1,000 in the UK.
Signalling progression towards greater accountability and transparency in the eyewear sector, Cubitts’ certification follows a rigorous analysis of sectors such as Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
Since launching 10 years ago, Cubitts has paved the way for sustainability within the eyewear industry, introducing circular initiatives such as Frame Rehab for spectacle repairs, Redux, a selected range of frames made entirely from recycled offcuts and Anew, a donation service where customer’s old Cubitts spectacles return to shelves after deep cleaning and all profits are donated to the London Wildlife Trust.
Committed to lowering its water footprint, reducing water usage in 2023 by 99%, Cubitts also is working towards carrying out 90% of its glazing work in Cubitts’ HQ using MEI Bisphera machinery. This will use 5 litres of water per 1000 lenses, compared to the use of previous machinery which consumed 1500 litres of water for the same amount.
Alongside material developments, Cubitts has placed a strong focus on its employee support with employees having multiple access to health and wellness opportunities across the business such as financial health support through Bippit and mental health support through Thrive.
For Tom Broughton, founder of Cubitts, “B Corp certification is one point on our journey to become a progressive, inclusive and sustainable business. It’s a great achievement, but it is only the start. We have a range of goals around being a better business, and being B Corp certified is a great framework within which to achieve them.”
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from startups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. Welcoming Cubitts is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the eyewear industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Cubitts in paving the way for a new way of doing things”.
Looking ahead, Cubitts is committed to the continual development of its practices. It is setting targets across the next three years for recertification in 2026 and will continue to strive towards its goal of putting people and the planet first when working on new and existing projects.
