The company just scored a Petal certification from the Living Building Challenge. Next on the agenda: achieving zero waste by 2020—and maybe convincing other tech companies to follow its lead.
When Etsy went public in 2015, it was the largest B Corporation ever to do so—and only the second in history. The handmade goods marketplace has since retained its B Corp status, which means it’s beholden to the nonprofit B Lab’s strict guidelines for social and environmental responsibility. Of course, this comes as little surprise from a company that counts among its values being a “mindful, transparent, and humane business.”
Now, in keeping with another Etsy value—sustainability—the company is snapping up a new bragging right: the greenest office space in tech. When Etsy first built its sprawling headquarters in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, it did so with the intent of meeting Petal Certification through the Living Building Challenge, a green building certification program that is more stringent than the more recognizable LEED rating system. Etsy has now done just that, making it the first tech company to get such a certification—and the first to actively pursue it, according to Etsy’s head of sustainability, Devon Leahy.
