“I want to be able to look into my kids’ eyes and honestly say, ‘I did everything I could to hinder climate change” (Anders Ankarlid)
Founded in 2019, Agood Company is a Swedish B-Corp that employs 28 people, only 14 of whom are employed in Stockholm. It was founded by Anders Ankarid, a 2003 economics graduate of Stockholm University, to provide customers with eco-friendly everyday products without sacrificing quality or aesthetics. Its mission is to eradicate mindless consumption and promote sustainable living, preserving the planet for future generations. Hailing from an entrepreneurial family, Anders launched his first e-commerce business after leaving high school in 2002 and learned about business not by attending business school but from his business mistakes and successes. He came up with the idea of Agood Company in the summer of 2018, when Sweden was suffering from the devastating impact of global warming. As he says, he “saw little hope for the future and saw more had to be done to stop the cataclysmic environmental effects”. So, he focused on an area with which he was familiar that could reduce the impacts on the environment, e-commerce.
The venture has a policy of complete transparency and has committed to:
- Selecting production materials that have the least environmental impact, regardless of cost.
- Only working with suppliers known to share their values.
- Never using harmful industrial chemicals
- Identifying the potential environmental impact of its operations
- Compensating for emissions resulting from shipping and travel.
Additionally, it provides details of the environmental footprint involved in the production and distribution of each of its products, together with the total water consumption and the energy used. Also, they identify their suppliers and provide information on their work environments and ownership.
Apart from offering well-designed, circular economy sustainable products such as plant-based phone cases, stone paper notebooks, and recycled steel bottles, Agood Company donates 4 percent of their net sales to specific environmental causes. They do this through their own foundation, which gives all of the income it receives to initiatives the enterprise supports. These initiatives are carried out in partnership with charities such as Save Water, Days for Girls, Global First Responder, Malala Fund, and Save the Children. The funds raised from the sale of each product are directed towards specific causes. For example, money from the sale of Agood phone cases goes to the Malala Fund to provide education for 10,000 girls, while the sale of stone paper notebooks and steel bottles contributes to projects that deliver fresh, clean water to those in need. Agood Company’s shared objective with these water-related charities is to supply 25 million litres of safe water annually. To ensure transparency, Agood Company reports quarterly on the funds raised and the projects supported.
In 2022, they emitted some 245 tonnes of greenhouse gases, and subsequently, they have been working to reduce this by offsetting their business travel and emissions from production, as well as ensuring production occurs close to their 25 suppliers, in order to keep emissions from shipping materials to the factory to a minimum. They very much see themselves as “picking a fight with everyday stuff that is harming our planet. Replacing plastic with plants. Localising our supply chain.re-using natural materials which would otherwise go to waste”. As a result of such efforts, their B-Corp impact score has risen by 13 points to 95.1.
While Anders is motivated to make money, it is in order to benefit the foundation, and while he is content that they are creating products to the best of their quality and with the lowest environmental impact possible, when he was asked what he was most proud of as an entrepreneur, he responded that it was their team, which has grown since 2019, mainly through remote working. As he says, “I need talent that I can’t get in my close geographical area…I get to meet with people from all corners of the world, from all walks of life. It gives me a broader perspective on things”.
Agood Company is an example of a harmonious enterprise that makes as much money as possible, not by harming the planet and its inhabitants but by protecting them. It directly addresses SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), while indirectly, through its philanthropic partnerships, it also addresses SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), and 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
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