Marking an important milestone on its sustainability journey, Ricola is now a certified B Corporation. This step reflects Ricola's long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, in line with its values as a family-owned enterprise.
As B Corporation, Ricola has been verified as meeting non-profit organization B Lab’s high standards in the areas of social and environmental impact, legal commitment to responsible company practices and public transparency.
Responsibility and sustainability are in the nature of Ricola
Ricola's path to becoming a B Corporation is built on a foundation laid at the company’s inception, namely its respect for the Swiss Alpine ecosystems that produce the herbs for its products. Ricola has long understood sustainability as a core business principle. The company's practices, from herb cultivation according to organic standards to continuously striving towards environmentally sound product manufacturing, are designed to preserve and nurture these ecosystems and their biodiversity, ensuring a positive impact on the environment and society.
"We owe everything to nature. Becoming a B Corporation aligns with our identity as a family-owned company and our dedication to connecting people with nature," says Thomas P. Meier, CEO, Ricola. "It's about balancing our ambitions for growth with our responsibilities to the planet and its people."
"B Lab Switzerland Foundation is truly honored to welcome Ricola into the B Corp movement. As an iconic Swiss company with nearly a century of unwavering commitment to nature and communities, Ricola embodies the principles of using business as a force for good. Their dedication to resiliency and sustainability leadership is exemplary," says Jonathan Normand, founder and CEO of B Lab Switzerland.
A framework for action: Ricola's sustainability strategy
Over the past two years, Ricola has refined a comprehensive approach to sustainability, identifying six core areas where it can have the most significant impact: agriculture principles, waste management, packaging innovation, climate change mitigation, water conservation, and ethical sourcing.
For each area, Ricola has set quantitative targets and implements annual "footsteps"—actionable steps to achieve these targets. These efforts are managed across the Ricola Group, with each part of the company playing a role on the collective journey towards sustainability.
As a B Corporation, Ricola is required to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, which includes continuous improvements towards recertification every three years, to ensure compliance and progress. Ricola has committed to evaluating its sustainability performance using globally recognized key figures. It plans to report on its progress biennially according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, which are applied by a multitude of companies worldwide. The initial report for 2022 is available for download on the company’s website.
Says Andreas Reckart, vice president region Middle East and travel retail: “Obtaining BCorp status is a signal to our travel retail partners of Ricola’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Travelling consumers are increasingly demanding that brands deliver on sustainable business practices and we are delighted that Ricola’s values are aligned both with their and Travel Retail industry expectations.”
