Award-winning decor manufacturer Nature’s Legacy has become the first Filipino company under the manufacturing category to receive a B Corp certification from B Lab, an international non-profit that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance.

Considered the “gold standard for good business,” a B Corp certification means that the business is meeting the highest standard of verified performance in using its operations as a force for good.

The Cebu-based company is known for inventing Naturescast, an organic debris elevated into an eco-friendly and biodegradable material that mimics the look of natural stone but is a hundred times more lightweight, durable, and sustainable.

The company is then able to consistently transform natural resources into patented sustainable materials and products that lessen the carbon footprint of everyday living products like home accessories and construction materials.

Nature’s Legacy is the second Filipino company to receive the distinction after Generation Hope, Inc., the distributor of bottled water brand Hope in a Bottle.

Nature’s Legacy’s Naturescast is made from rescued agro-forest debris and bound by trademarked water-based binders created to be biodegradable and recyclable, consequently giving an organic but structured finish to any design and surface.

Nature’s Legacy was established in 1986 with the mission to create products through upcycling. Seeing how wasteful the production process of the manufacturing industry can be, the company’s founders thought of ways to minimize this by turning waste into new material.

“When we would pitch the product 25 years ago, we were often met with incredulous looks. Buyers found it difficult to accept that our products were made from a combination of timber and other waste products,” Nature’s Legacy president Pete Delantar shared in an interview with Tharawat Magazine. “It became a matter of showing people that not only are our products high quality, but they are also sustainable and more importantly, that it’s something they should care about.”

Sustainability goes beyond just creating products that minimize waste and environmental harm. It also involves ensuring that the business’ processes are equitable for all those involved. In the same interview, the Delantars emphasized “creating an environment where their people can thrive” as an important part of the company’s sustainability. Education through training and scholarships, well-being through exercise programs and peer support are some of the ways the company achieves this.

Education is also among the company’s top priorities, says Nature’s Legacy vice president Cathy Delantar. “We created an ecosystem where housing, schools and work are all within three kilometers of each other. It allowed us to increase our employees' quality of life and decrease our collective carbon footprint.”

As more companies in the past years have shifted to more sustainable mindsets and models, Nature’s Legacy has also seen an increased interest in their product. This has driven them to regularly earn certifications and meet compliance standards, as more sustainably-aligned companies seek to work with businesses with the same values.

International and local certifications are not the only feathers in the company’s cap; Nature’s Legacy has also taken part in the Philippine delegation at Ambiente, Germany’s top trade fair for lifestyle products held in Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany in February 2020. The participation is under the LifestylePhilippines banner, the industry branding initiative of the Center for International Trade expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arms of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Originally published in https://nolisoli.ph/74753/natures-legacy-sustainability-efforts-jgomez-20200216/
Original text by Joy Therese Gomez
Additional text by Pauline Miranda