In this extract from Ragtrader's newly released Sustainability Report 2025, we dig deep into how an on-trend fast fashion brand is able to score B Corp certification.
Many pundits across the industry furrowed their eyebrows when Australian fast fashion brand Princess Polly scored a B Corporation certificate this year. The brand hit a maiden score of 86.8, which is just above the qualifying score of 80, and well over the median score of 50.9 for all ordinary businesses.
So how can an on-trend brand meet B Lab’s rigorous 200+ questions that measure a company’s positive impact on its workers, community, environment and customers?
We posed this question to the brand team and they cited a few reasons.
“Princess Polly was the second Australian fashion retailer with near- and long-term carbon reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative,” the brand tells Ragtrader. “We’ve also disclosed our emissions annually to CDP since 2022, achieving a B score in 2024, outperforming the industry average. Our B Corp Certification recognised this progress, particularly in carbon measurement, management, and reduction.”
The brand adds that its garments are not cheaply made or priced. A new denim jacket on the website currently costs $100. Princess Polly claims all its clothing is designed to last, and is independently graded for quality.
“We avoid the common pitfall of overproduction in fashion,” the brand continues. “We produce smaller volumes, test styles in real time, and further produce only what our customers love.”
This is a similar spiel shared by ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, which claims to produce small batches and only going big when a range gets traction, to the scrutiny of the industry. But Princess Polly is nowhere near as ultra-cheap as the fashion giant.
Some in the industry say that even if an on-trend brand refrains from overproduction, it’s still unsustainable.
The Australia Institute’s circular economy and waste program director, Nina Gbor, says trends are, by definition, short term, which can fuel fashion waste.
“Fast fashion is based on releasing multiple drops a year that follow the newest trends,” Gbor says. “Even if a brand is not manufacturing the same amount as an ultra or conventional fast fashion brand, on-trend trends means the garments will very likely be used briefly or not at all before being discarded in favour of the next trend. And the cycle just continues with the linear take-make-waste system that's highly unsustainable.
“It damages the environment through sourcing, manufacture, supply, overconsumption and disposal. Therefore, it’s satire, an oxymoron if you will, to try to sell this notion to the public that on-trend fashion businesses can be sustainable. It’s effectively a clever manipulation tactic to call a fast fashion-style business ‘sustainable’ and grant them an environmental certification to boot. Sustainability standards are gradually being lowered before our very eyes.”
But B Corp certification doesn’t just cover production. It covers the whole business. As well as meeting the baseline score of 80, businesses also need to make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance documents to be accountable to all stakeholders – not just shareholders – and must exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on the B Lab website.
A B Lab spokesperson tells Ragtrader that the certification is holistic, and not exclusively focused on a single social or environmental issue.
“Like every B Corp, Princess Polly has undergone a rigorous verification process to determine if they meet the requirements for certification,” the spokesperson says. “This process involves interviews, and a review of supporting documentation, to provide evidence for their claims. Larger businesses, including Princess Polly, must also meet additional eligibility requirements.
“Princess Polly undertook a two-year process to measure itself against these standards and took the necessary steps to improve and meet the certification requirements. Some of the ways Princess Polly achieved certification included increasing the use of certified lower-impact materials; implementing stringent testing to ensure durability; actively reducing carbon emissions across its supply chain; promoting circularity; and supporting employees’ wellness during family planning and parenting.”
But others in the industry say that this certification undermines the value and credibility of the accreditation.
RMIT’s Dr Harriette Richards, senior lecturer at the School of Fashion and Textiles says it demonstrates the value of the ‘sustainability’ label as a marketing tool, “as Princess Polly attempts to position itself as distinct from other ultrafast fashion brands such as Shein by claiming that they are sustainable.”
"While they may use more environmentally friendly materials than some of its ultrafast fashion counterparts, the reality is that their business model, which relies on overproduction and overconsumption, is unsustainable,” Dr Richards says.
Meanwhile, Dr Jon Hewitt, a lecturer at the School of Fashion and Textiles, says Princess Polly’s B Crop status can increase consumer scepticism, which could also undermine trust in genuinely committed fashion brands.
"Certification is an important part of communication strategies for fashion-based social enterprises that are built on ethical principles, however, when the same accreditation is used to certify an ultrafast fashion brand, it risks becoming meaningless,” Dr Hewitt says.
To this, the B Lab spokesperson says the process must be open to anyone wanting to make the change.
“When large companies pursue certification or use our tools to improve and manage their impact, the changes they make have an outsized influence on workers, supply chains, and the broader economy. This scale also helps shift our cultural understanding of the role of business, and what policies and regulations should underpin our economy.
“The fashion sector has enormous potential for positive impact. For an apparel company of Princess Polly’s size, committing to change is significant. It requires bold leadership for a business to voluntarily hold itself to high standards, while facing increased scrutiny from all stakeholders, as it begins this journey. It’s important to celebrate this if we are to see a change in business practices at scale, and recognise what is possible as our community transitions to B Lab’s new standards.
“B Lab has risk standards and processes which outline additional minimum standards that companies in controversial industries, or those with potentially negative practices, must meet in order to be eligible for B Corp Certification.”
Gbor jumps back in and says that a brand can’t just tick one or two boxes then claim they’re sustainable.
“Just because a brand does not use animal products for instance, does not mean they are sustainable. There are many factors to review such as greenhouse gas emission, biodiversity loss, toxic chemicals in polyester/synthetic clothing, toxic chemicals in dyes and other materials used, microplastics shed into the atmosphere, soil and oceans from their garments, etc.
“Then there are other issues of labour practices, work conditions exploitation/modern slavery conditions of garment workers throughout the supply chain.”
Gbor also notes that any brand not being transparent about meeting all these conditions and still claiming to be sustainable could potentially fall under greenwashing.
“We know that less than one per cent of garments are recycled, so it’s not too helpful even if recycled materials are being used,” Gbor says. “The most circular, ethical and sustainable thing is for brands to encourage their customers to get off the fashion trend-mill and replace trends with long-term, timeless, personal style.
“The brands need to also get off the fashion trend-mill themselves by manufacturing timeless, durable pieces made of natural textiles that maintain relatively high post-consumer market value after the customer is done with it so that they can resell or pass on repeatedly in good condition. That’s what true sustainability looks like.”
But small batch production and carbon targets are only part of Princess Polly’s reasoning behind its B Corp win. The brand has also reportedly made significant progress converting a large portion of its collection into lower environmental impact materials. In 2025, 37 per cent of its products will be made with ‘certified lower impact’ materials, guided by the brand’s internal materials matrix and Lower Impact Fabric Hub.
On its website as of writing, out of the 3878 items listed, 1369 of them are lower impact. A look through the listings shows particular materials include reclaimed polyester, reclaimed nylon, reclaimed PET, and Lenzing Viscose – a type of semi-synthetic fibre made from wood pulp.
Meanwhile, 720 items are listed as new on the website.
“Our award-winning 5 A’s of Ethical Sourcing framework supports responsible practices, supplier accountability, and long-term partnerships, earning us recognition in the top 20 per cent of companies in the 2024 Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Guide,” Princess Polly adds.
“We make our initiatives publicly available, we are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain committed to continually advancing our ESG efforts.”
Gbor also argues that the standards in B Lab’s B Impact Assessment (BIA) have dropped, but B Lab retorts that Princess Polly was assessed on a BIA that is version number six since the certification process was launched 18 years ago.
The latest version, released in April 2025, took four years to update, involving a global consultation process that included over 3,000 stakeholders across 67 countries and more than 26,000 pieces of feedback.
“Under the new standards, companies will need to meet mandatory performance requirements across seven Impact Topics. These include: Purpose & Stakeholder Governance, Climate Action, Human Rights, Fair Work, Environmental Stewardship & Circularity, Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Government Affairs & Collective Action. The requirements are designed to be relevant to a company’s location, size, and industry, ensuring businesses drive impact in areas that are meaningful and material,” B Lab tells Ragtrader.
“Princess Polly, like all B Corps with recertification dates in 2028, will be expected to recertify under the new standards to maintain their certification.”
Download your FREE copy of Ragtrader's Sustainability Report 2025 HERE.