As we prepare to release our 2024 Impact Report, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on a monumental milestone for Fairware. When we started this journey back in 2005—with little more than a garage in Vancouver and a bold vision to “change the world through the simple act of buying”—we couldn’t have imagined just how far it would take us. Nearly two decades later, Fairware stands proudly as a Certified B Corporation, a leader in sustainable merchandising, and proof that business can truly be a force for good. This edition of our Impact Report is much more than a review of 2024; it’s a reflection on the values we’ve upheld for 20 years and a re-commitment to our mission as we look to the future
MAKE YOUR MERCHANDISE MATTER.
IMPACT REPORT | 2024
FROM OUR CO-FOUNDE
Our 2024 Impact Report showcases the hard work, dedication, and shared purpose that drive everything we do at Fairware. From reducing our carbon footprint to sourcing sustainable materials and fostering inclusivity, the report highlights the tangible ways we’ve held ourselves accountable to our mission. Measuring progress is essential, but it’s also about amplifying impact. Every initiative, partnership, and milestone reflects our commitment to aligning our actions with our values—and proving that meaningful change is possible. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re focused on the future—achieving zero emissions by 2040 through sustainable practices and technology, investing in community impact, and strengthening equitable supply chains. At our core, we believe business must prioritize people and the planet over profit. After two decades of visionary leadership and dedication, Sarah White, our co-founder, is stepping into a well-earned retirement—or “reaspire”, as she refers to it. Her commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has shaped Fairware into a purpose-driven company, leaving a lasting impact on the business and beyond.
Dear Friends, Partners, and Change-Makers,
As we prepare to release our 2024 Impact Report, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on a monumental milestone for Fairware. When we started this journey back in 2005—with little more than a garage in Vancouver and a bold vision to “change the world through the simple act of buying”—we couldn’t have imagined just how far it would take us. Nearly two decades later, Fairware stands proudly as a Certified B Corporation, a leader in sustainable merchandising, and proof that business can truly be a force for good. This edition of our Impact Report is much more than a review of 2024; it’s a reflection on the values we’ve upheld for 20 years and a re-commitment to our mission as we look to the future. From day one, our focus has been on driving change. In 2010, we became the first promotional products distributor to achieve B Corp certification. This certification was a promise to us, our clients, and our planet. Every year, we renew this commitment by raising the bar on responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and community impact. Some highlights we’re proud to share include progress on transparent supply chains, measurable carbon reduction goals, and ongoing advocacy for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
Fairware will continue its work with co- founder Denise Taschereau, alongside our
ERS
exceptional leadership team. Together, we are committed to upholding Fairware’s legacy and staying true to our mission of creating ethically sourced and sustainably made branded merchandise. This thoughtfully planned transition ensures Fairware remains as steadfast as ever in delivering meaningful and impactful work in partnership with our incredible community. To our B Corp peers, clients, and supporters: thank you for believing in our vision and for being part of the solution. Together, we’ve shown that better business isn’t just possible— it’s happening every day. Here’s to the next 20 years of impact, innovation, and collaboration. Together, we’ll continue building a more sustainable and equitable future.
With gratitude and determination,
DENISE TASCHEREAU CEO & CO-FOUNDER
OUR MISSION VISION & VALUES IN ACTION
Our mission, vision, and values continue to be our north star, guiding our work from product sourcing to client strategy and everything in between. Since reimagining our foundational principles in 2022, we’ve witnessed their power to drive meaningful change across our business and beyond. What began as a refresh of our original 2006 mission—’change the world through the simple act of buying’—has evolved into a comprehensive framework for addressing the interconnected chal- lenges of our time. The past few years have reinforced our belief that collaboration, courage, and advocacy are essential to dismantling the barriers that perpet- uate climate change, racial inequities, and social and environmental degradation. These aren’t just business challenges—they’re urgent realities that demand innovative solutions and bold action. Our refined mission, vision and values have proven to be more than aspirational statements. They’ve become operational tools that help us navigate complex decisions, forge strategic partnerships, and measure our progress toward building a more equitable and sustainable future. As we look ahead, these principles will continue to anchor our commitment to driving change that extends far beyond our own organization, creating ripple effects throughout our industry and community.
Mission To be a partner on our collective journey toward social and environmental sustainability. Vision To create merchandise that elevates brands, people, and shared communities while upholding ethical and sustainable practices. Values 01 CHANGEMAKERS
02 CREATORS
03 NAVIGATORS
04 INCLUSIVITY
05 CURIOSITY
MATERIALITY STATEMENT At Fairware, our approach to impact reporting is grounded in materiality, focusing on the environmental, social, and governance issues that are most significant to our business operations and stakeholders. Our comprehensive Impact Agenda serves as the foundation for identifying and addressing these material topics, representing the areas where we have the greatest ability to influence positive change within our value chain. Our Impact Agenda is our materiality framework. This report charts our 2024 progress against our 2022 Impact Report goals and sets out our goals for 2025 and 2026. Materiality Assessment Process These five focus areas represent our assessment of where Fairware has both significant impact and operational control within our value chain. This report covers Fairware Promotional Products, Ltd (Canada), and Fairware, Inc (US), collectively operating as ‘Fairware’. Our Impact focus areas reflect the intersection of our business activities, community concerns, and our capacity to drive meaningful change. Our materiality determination is informed by: • Direct operational impact and influence within our value chain • Community expectations and concerns • Industry-specific risks and opportunities • Regulatory and market trends • Our mission and values as a Certified B Corp and Certified Women-Owned and LGBTQ+ owned business Looking Forward We recognize that a materiality assessment is an evolving process that requires regular review and refinement. We are anticipating the 2025 publication of PPAI’s independent research study on double materiality in our industry, which will provide valuable benchmarking data to assess and enhance our current framework. This upcoming research will inform our materiality analysis for future impact reports, ensuring our approach remains aligned with industry best practices and emerging standards. Our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement means we will continue to evaluate and evolve our materiality framework to ensure it reflects the most significant impacts and opportunities for positive change within our sphere of influence.
IMPACT AGENDA RESPONSIBLE SOURCING
01
Ensuring the workers who make our products are treated fairly, their health and safety is a priority, and their workplaces meet or exceed international labor standards. Ensure the products we source meet international product safety standards and prioritize environmentally preferred materials.
02
JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Ensuring fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all our team members and working to be an anti-racist organization in all that we do.
03
COMMUNITY IMPACT Ensuring we’re active participants in the communities where we operate by supporting volunteerism and being a good corporate citizen.
ADVOCACY Ensuring we use our position as business leaders to lobby and advocate on important social and environmental issues affecting our team, our community, our supply chain, and our industry.
04
05
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Ensuring our business practices, and those of our supply chain partners, support a healthy planet. Our focus is on Climate Impact and Zero Waste.
Our Approach Since 2005, our supplier assessment process is used to vet suppliers against leading worker rights and environmental standards. This report reflects the results of surveying our significant suppliers, or those who contribute to 80% of our expenditures. Our Code of Conduct (COC) covers a range of social, environmental, diversity, equity, and inclusion questions so we can ensure the suppliers we work with match the values of our business and the expectations of our clients. RESPONSIBLE SOURCING We seek out suppliers and products that share our commitment to a sustainable future.
Our responsible sourcing policies prioritise suppliers with at least one of the following characteristics.
1. Suppliers with strong commitments to improving their own operational and supply chain impacts; those who participate in worker rights programs such as WRAP, SEDEX, BSCI or FLA; and those that are actively working to measure and reduce environmental impacts such as carbon emissions, and over packaging.
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Responsible Sourcing
2. Suppliers who manufacture using certified environmentally preferred materials such as certified recycled plastics or organic cotton or are offering certified carbon neutral products and/or suppliers who achieve Silver or higher EcoVadis rating. 3. Suppliers who, through their structure (such as social enterprises, worker co-ops, B Corporations), or diverse ownership (such as women, BIPOC and queer owned businesses) are driving change and uplifting communities who have historically lacked access to markets.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 9
Our Actions
> EDUCATION We embed sustainability education/awareness in all supplier sales meetings. As of 2023, we ask all our suppliers who do formal sales training or product knowledge sessions with our team to address their sustainability and impact efforts. Suppliers are now provided with a pre-set agenda for sales meetings that includes having them share their responsible sourcing and sustainability efforts with our sales team. Increasingly (and refreshingly), our suppliers are bringing on full-time sustainability staff, and where we can, we’re getting them involved in our meetings. We also include a primer on Anti Bias in the workplace as part of our supplier sales meeting primer. > SUPPLIER ASSESSMENTS Our Code of Conduct, which has been in place since 2006, and our Supplier Assessment Questionnaire helps us assess our suppliers social and environmental practices. We assess our strategic suppliers against our Code of Conduct, and best practice. Recently, we updated our Responsible Sourcing Policy to clarify what we accept in lieu of a signed Supplier Assessment Questionnaire (for example, we now approve B Corp certified suppliers; Fair Labor Association Accredited and Participating Companies, and Silver EcoVadis or above suppliers). > IMPACT SUPPLIER TRACKING We track sales by supplier against our impact criteria and have done so for over a decade. In this report we’re sharing statistics from 2024 as well as 2022 as our benchmark data. The data isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison as the result of industry consolidation that has happened over the past four years. That said, it provides a great snapshot of our supply chain spend. We’ve seen improvements in our B Corp suppliers as the result of top industry supplier Gemline becoming a B Corp in 2024, and our ongoing dealer partnership with Patagonia.
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Responsible Sourcing
We measure our supply chain spend using five categories:
1. Approved Suppliers: Suppliers who have signed off on our COC within the past two years or those who meet our Responsible Sourcing Policy. 2. Diverse Ownership: Suppliers who are certified or self-disclose diverse ownership. We accept self-disclosed diverse ownership to lower hurdles for minority owners to verify their identity which can often entail significant costs, time and resource investments. 3. Certified B Corporation Suppliers: Certified B Corp suppliers in good standing. Note this does not track sales of B Corp products that are distributed by non B Corp suppliers. 4. Impact Suppliers: Those suppliers who don’t have formal certification but are committed to creating sustainable products or uplifting communities and workers who have been historically marginalized. 5. Reciprocity Road Suppliers: Fairware is a member of Reciprocity Road, a promotional products industry peer group. At 13 distributor members, we represent over 350M in annual sales.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 11
SUPPLY CHAIN STATS
ACTIVE SUPPLIER SPEND While we had 168 suppliers active on our roster, the vast majority of our business was serviced by 24. These suppliers constitute 80% of our sales and are considered our significant suppliers. All our benchmark data reflects sales with our significant suppliers.
Top Suppliers Other Suppliers
80%
Sales made through 26 of our suppliers
% OF SALES BY CATEGORY FOR SIGNIFICANT SUPPLIERS 2019 2022 2024 GOAL
92% 93%
Approved Suppliers Signed Fairware’s Code of Conduct within 24 Months.
81%
100%
9.6%
Impact Suppliers Includes B Corps, social enterprises & sustainable brands.
20%
48%
25%
< 1%
Diverse Owned Suppliers
2%
5%
3%
B Corp Certified Suppliers
20%
48%
25%
Reciprocity Road Preferred Suppliers Fairware is a member of this collective.
46%
65%
35%
70%
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Responsible Sourcing
2022 GOALS
Our Responsible Sourcing Progress
UPDATED OUR SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT TO INCLUDE A RESPONSIBLE SOURCING POLICY
SEND UPDATED COC TO OUR NEXT TIER SUPPLIERS While most of our supplier spend is with current Code of Conduct signatories, our goal is to have our top 40 suppliers (who represent over 90% of our sales) have a current and signed Code of Conduct on file. We have not engaged our 2nd Tier Suppliers, this goal will move to 2025/2026 along with developing a Supplier Assessment Questionnaire for decoration partners. ONBOARD A MIN. OF 6 ‘IMPACT’ SUPPLIERS ANNUALLY We are known for offering the widest range of sustainable products and brands in the promotional merchandise industry. To maintain our differentiation, our goal is to onboard at least six impact suppliers a year. In 2024, we on boarded 9 new impact suppliers to our vendor list.
BUILD A SYSTEM TO TRACK PRODUCT LEVEL SUSTAINABILITY METRICS
In 2024, system upgrades enabled accurate product-level tracking of sustainable items, such as recycled, organic, regenerative organic, biodegradable, compostable, and zero-waste products. Analysis showed that 42.5% of significant product sales (representing 80% of revenue) carried a certified sustainable attribute, primarily recycled or organic content. By comparison, a 2022 manual review found 34% of sales included recycled materials or certified organic cotton.
NOTE: All goals are labeled with one of the following progress status icons.
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WHAT’S NEXT
Our 2025 Responsible Sourcing Goals
SUPPLIER AGREEMENTS & TRANSPARENCY Fairware will ensure that 50% of our strategic suppliers have signed Supplier NDAs and Factory Non-Solicitation Agreements in place by the end of 2025, enabling more efficient and transparent sharing of product and factory information. ONBOARDING IMPACT SUPPLIERS Fairware will onboard at least 6 new Impact Suppliers annually, expanding our network of partners who align with our values and demonstrate leadership in sustainability, diversity, and ethical practices. INTERNAL TEAM TRAINING Fairware will host 3 internal training sessions in 2025 focused on Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD), responsible sourcing best practices, and product safety awareness, building knowledge and capacity across our team. POLICY REVIEW & HRDD ALIGNMENT Fairware will review and update our Responsible Sourcing Policy and process in 2025, ensuring it reflects Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) best practices and strengthens our ability to assess and manage risk in our supply chain.
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Responsible Sourcing
IMPACT SUPPLIERS
Responsible sourcing looks beyond price and quality to the social, environmental, and ethical impacts of how products are made. Vendors play a key role by ensuring fair labour, safe workplaces, sustainable materials, and transparent supply chains. Partners like Bastien and Gemline show how suppliers can lead the way, raising standards and driving a more sustainable future.
BASTIEN
Bastien Industries, a Canadian Indigenous shoemaker rooted in Wendat heritage since 1972, creates moccasins, boots, slippers, and accessories using animal hides and time-honored techniques passed down through generations. They also craft promotional products like luggage tags and passport holders, offering meaningful, culturally authentic gifts that support ethical sourcing and enhance the gifting experience.
GEMLINE
Gemline, a leading supplier in the promotional products industry, has achieved B Corp certification, reflecting its commitment to social, environmental, and ethical responsibility. Their practices in sustainable materials, fair labour, and transparent operations set a high standard for the industry, providing clients with products that are both impactful and responsibly sourced.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 15
We’re committed to being an anti-racist organization. JEDI Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion At Fairware, we are committed to being an actively anti-racist organization. We know that meaningful change doesn’t happen in boardrooms alone—it grows from the ground up when people feel empowered to call out injustice and work toward equity in their everyday lives. Our role is to nurture and support that courage within our own team. We invest in equipping employees with the knowledge, resources, and tools they need to recognize unconscious bias, confront systemic racism, and lead as changemakers in our industry and communities. While many organizations speak of DEI, we intentionally frame our efforts through a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) lens. Justice grounds our work in accountability, ensuring we go beyond statements and policies to embed these values into the way we operate. Every decision, practice, and policy is examined through a racial justice perspective, with the aim of building a company culture where equity isn’t aspirational—it’s lived. We acknowledge that dismantling systems of oppression is complex, ongoing, and often uncomfortable work. It is also essential. We commit to showing up consistently, holding ourselves accountable, and embracing the responsibility of being both learners and leaders in this space.
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Community Impact
FAIRWARE’S ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT
We stand against racism and all forms of oppression and commit to challenging ourselves to intentionally disrupt and dismantle oppressive systems, policies, practices, and ideologies within ourselves and our networks.
In this section of our Impact Report, we share how this commitment shows up in our approach to Anti-Discrimination, Maintaining a Safe & Diverse Workplace Culture, Inclusive Hiring Practices, and Financial Wellness & Wealth Building. Our work to strengthen partnerships with diverse-owned suppliers can be found in the Responsible Sourcing section.
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Our Approach Fairware stands against discrimination and oppression both within and outside of the workplace. Our aim is to create a safe and inclusive workplace where individuals can bring their whole selves to work.
Our Actions
> ANNUAL PLEDGE TO MEASURE We conduct an annual anonymous survey and training on disability (invisible and visible) in the workplace as part of our commitments to the President’s Group. Our results are shared with other leading BC Employer’s at Accessible Employers.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 17
In 2024, 30.43% of Fairware identified as having a visible or invisible disability (eg. Dyslexia, ADHD, etc). As part of our annual goals to educate our team reviewed what it means to identify disability/invisible disability.
> AWARDS & RECOGNITION In 2023, we were honoured as a finalist in the Untapped Awards for Inclusion Culture Champion in the Small BC Business category. Building on this achievement, in 2024, we proudly received the Workplace Inclusion Award as a Small Business Champion from the Open Door Group.
PLEDGE TO MEASURE STATS
7/23 SELF-IDENTIFY AS HAVING A DISABILITY Results of our 2024 survey found six out of twenty-three of our employees and one senior leader self-identified as having a visible or invisible disability.
By measuring disability inclusion in the workplace, we can better support those with disabilities. Whether disabilities are visible or not – these barriers can prevent a person with a long-term impairment from full and equal participation in society.
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Community Impact
2022 GOALS
Our Anti-Discrimination Goal Progress
ANTI-BIAS TRAINING FOR ALL STAFF In 2023, we delivered a minimum of 2 hours of all staff training on unconscious bias and our communications framework for disrupting bias. We continue regular practice of acknowledging and learning about bias at staff meetings and check-ins. UPDATE STAFF RESOURCES All new employee onboarding materials and ongoing staff training includes education and awareness on anti-bias/anti-discrimination training and communications.
ENSURE PLATFORMS MEET WCAG & STANDARDS The Fairware website and all social media platforms meet Canadian and US Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and standards.
ANTI-BIAS EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT We engage partners, suppliers, and clients in dialogue to exchange strategies for addressing unconscious bias, while sharing the measures we have implemented within our organization.
CREATE AN INDIGENOUS RECONCILIATION PLAN FOR FAIRWARE IN 2024
We did not meet our goal to work with an external partner to build a Reconciliation Plan for Fairware. Moving forward, we will continue this work internally to support reconciliation and address anti-Indigenous racism in our day-to-day business, staff training, and education.
NOTE: All goals are labeled with one of the following progress status icons.
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Fairware Impact Report 2024 19
MAINTAINING A SAFE & DIVERSE COMPANY CULTURE Our Approach Building and retaining a diverse staff means ensuring every person feels they have a place. We encourage cultural contribution versus cultural fit at Fairware. A safe culture means honoring and respecting others and committing to working and educating ourselves about difference, inclusion, and acceptance. We know the lines have blurred between office and home and we work to make our hybrid culture one that is engaging and adoptable. We aim to, at a minimum, reflect the demographics of our city Vancouver, which as of the 2021 Census was 54.5% of non-European descent. We benefit from maintaining a diverse workforce as they bring their individual perspectives insights and values - and this collectively make us a better team.
Our Actions
> MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT Providing access to mental health resources and tools to support employees through our health provider, including counseling services, wellness programs, and mental health toolkits. These resources are designed to promote mental wellness, provide 24/7 support, and foster positive outcomes both at work and beyond. > SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT Creating a supportive environment during one-on-one’s, staff meetings, and even weekly meetings, where employees feel comfortable sharing feedback, discussing challenges, and celebrating successes openly and respectfully.
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Community Impact
2022 GOALS
Company Culture Goal Progress
FORMALIZE AN ALT STAT HOLIDAY POLICY Created a policy to enable employees to ‘switch’ some Canadian statutory holidays with a cultural or religious holiday that better aligned with the holidays that are important to them. Our policy is based on the open source work shared by Animikii. IMPLEMENT AN ANONYMOUS “WISH” JAR For staff to request changes or give feedback. These requests are transparently addressed by leadership at team meetings, and the status of each request is tracked and communicated with the team.
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Fairware Impact Report 2024 21
DEVELOP AN INTERCOMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK For managing difficult conversations in the workplace. We know creating a safe work culture means having a safe way to have hard conversations. By training our team on a common framework to communicate with curiosity, respect and an open mind, we can help build a safe work environment. We developed our ‘Yellow Flag’ framework for difficult conversations and delivered a 2-hour training. This is an on-going practice. SHARE ANNUAL EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY Each year we present a survey to our employees asking questions to track our progress and identify what needs improvement. The anonymous survey gives folks an opportunity to tell us honestly how they are doing and how Fairware is doing in their opinion.
UPDATE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK Included and updated policies to reflect formal commitments to anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
DEVELOP EMPLOYEE ‘OPERATIONS MANUALS’ We developed a process with staff to create one page operations manuals about themselves (written by having staff interview each other). The ‘ops manual’ for each person is shared at staff meetings to the wider team can learn about each others communication styles, background, values, and interests. CREATE AN INFORMAL INTER-TEAM PROGRAM We haven’t formally developed a program but work to create opportunities and new meeting structures, for teams to work more closely together.
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Community Impact
2024 COMPANY CULTURE STATS
16% 44%
12% 4%
RACE
AGE
4%
4%
White (Caucasian) Southeast Asia South Asia Latin America West Asia Other
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
8%
24%
12%
24%
68%
4%4%
SEXUAL ORIENTATION Straight/Hetero Lesbian Queer
16%
LANGUAGES In 2024, our team shared which languages they knew fluently: 14
8%
Questioning & Unsure Prefer not to Disclose
76%
8%
GENDERS
• Portuguese • Cantonese • Farsi
• Punjabi • Mandarin • Spanish • Hindi • Vietnamese
Women Men Agender Non-Binary Gender Queer
40%
• Tagalog • Kiswahili • Luganda • Gujarati
• French • English
56% Identify as Women
INCLUSIVE HIRING Our Approach
As part of our commitment to JEDI, we work with community partners to hire people who are traditionally excluded from employment. In offering employment opportunities to his - torically marginalized people (e.g. people of color, Indigenous, disabled) we are disrupting the status quo, doing our part in contributing to dismantling systems of oppression and building a diverse, resilient workforce that reflects the community we live in.
Our Actions
> OPEN & INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES We embrace open hiring by looking to community organizations such as PosAbilities, Canucks Autism Network, and CAN WiN for support. > SIMPLIFIED & TRANSPARENT JOB POSTINGS We have simplified job postings, removed educational requirements where applicable and ensured our postings have inclusive language to ensure all candidates know they are welcome. We include transparent salary ranges on all job postings and do not re- quire criminal record checks.
Our Inclusive Hiring Goal Progress UNCONSCIOUS BIAS TRAINING
Provide at least 4 hours of training on reducing the impact of unconscious biases when hiring with our leadership team.
INCREASE INDIGENOUS APPLICATIONS Increase our reach to Indigenous candidates by finding additional posting platforms for our job listings.
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Community Impact
FINANCIAL WELLNESS & WEALTH BUILDING
Our Approach We believe that all workers should be able to, at a minimum, meet their basic needs, so we’re a Certified Living Wage employer. We are striving to go one step further and ensure that our employees can build wealth so that they can not only manage their short-term expenses but also build the knowledge and skills to meet their long-term financial goals.
Our Actions
> CERTIFIED LIVING WAGE EMPLOYER Fairware is a Certified Living Wage Employer. All our workers are above the basic living wage for our city for the total compensation.
> 9 CARE DAYS & 15 DAYS PAID VACATION We provide paid Sick/Care days and all employees start with 3 weeks paid vacation.
> EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS Extended health benefits are provided to reduce the money employees pay out of pocket to take care of their well-being.
> ADDITIONAL DAYS OFF In addition to mandatory statutory holidays we provide – Easter Monday, Boxing Day and half days on December 24th and December 31st. We also offer one paid Adventure Day off and one paid Volunteer Day per employee.
> PROFIT SHARING We share 10% of our net profit before tax, evenly amongst employees.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 25
2022 GOALS
Our Financial Wellness Progress
IMPROVE REMOTE WORK OPPORTUNITIES Update hybrid work policy to ensure better work life balance and implement remote work from home options available for employees, who live more than 45 minutes away, to accommodate for their commute time. Also, implement a ‘short term remote work policy’ to allow employees to work remote from anywhere in the world for up to four weeks and up to two times per year. IMPROVE EXTENDED HEALTH & BENEFIT PLAN Increase access to mental health support and increase dental and medical coverage: resources, and consultations for mental health, financial wellness, legal, elder care, nutrition, physical health and more. Counselors are representative of the diverse community at our workplace including BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. Includes unlimited mental health counseling. SCHEDULE FINANCIAL WELLNESS WORKSHOPS We haven’t yet launched the education workshops on financial wellness and literacy (up to 2 hours per employee per year). We’ll be reassessing the best way to implement this initiative and will set a new goal moving forward. SURVEY ON EXTENDED HEALTH & DENTAL BENEFITS Completed an employee survey in 2024 on extended health, dental, and financial wellness benefits to ensure our health plan meets employee needs. A prior 2023 survey helped identify gaps and was part of what prompted adding mental health coverage.
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Community Impact
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WHAT’S NEXT
Our JEDI Goals
Over the past few years, we’ve made significant progress on the JEDI goals we set for ourselves—strengthening our anti-discrimination practices, fostering a safe and diverse company culture, advancing inclusive hiring, and supporting financial wellness and wealth building. While we’re proud of this foundation, we know there is always more work to do. Looking ahead, we are committed to pursuing new goals that address existing gaps, deepen our impact, and continue building a workplace where equity and inclusion are at the core of how we operate.
CREATE A GUIDE FOR UNCONSCIOUS BIAS HIRING BEST PRACTICES FOR THE SENIOR TEAM To support inclusive and equitable hiring, we will create a guide (or playbook) for the senior team that outlines unconscious bias best practices in recruitment, interviewing, and decision-making. TRAIN SENIOR TEAM ON HOW TO CREATE AN ACCESSIBLE WORKPLACE The senior team is to complete 3 hours of training, paired with the playbook, will ensure consistency in how we approach accessibility and bias-free hiring and embed equity, accessibility, and inclusion into all leadership-level hiring decisions. INCREASE INDIGENOUS APPLICATIONS Historically, Fairware has posted job opportunities to BHive, GoodWork, LinkedIn, and Accessible Employers. Moving forward, we will expand our recruitment practices by also posting all job openings on FirstNationsJob.com to increase visibility and attract more Indigenous applicants.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 27
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Community Impact
COMMUNITY IMPACT Our Approach As always, our community impact work focuses on our local community, our industry and supplier community, our B Corp community, and our team members at Fairware. These represent the communities most material to our operations and our sphere of influence.
In 2022, we formalized our community impact efforts and begun building systems to track and codify where we have positive impact.
All our impact work is always grounded in the need for systemic change. We recognize that there are underlying inequities that are driving many of the issues facing our communities and our planet, and it would be impossible to move forward without addressing these issues at their root cause. In 2024, our approach was to expand our involvement in our local communities, formalize our policies and accountabilities and build a system to measure and track our actions.
Fairware Impact Report 2024
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Our Actions
> PRODUCT DONATIONS Each year we donate excess merchandise to community partners. In 2024 we donated over $4,700 worth of merchandise to three community organizations. • Approx. $3,850 worth of holiday gift merchandise to VSSL. • Approx. $600 worth of Patagonia merchandise to B Lab, Canadian Mental Health Association, and YMCA Vancouver for auction gifts. • A donation of $257 to Ocean Wise. > RENEWED LIVING WAGE COMMITMENT Continue to align our compensation with the new Living Wage Standard for Vancouver to ensure 2024 salaries meet a local living wage. > RECIPROCITY ROAD CONTRIBUTIONS As part of our membership in Reciprocity Road, an industry buying group, we collectively donated $7,500 USD to the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) and $5,000 to the Plenty of Plates/Better Life Foundation.
> PROMOCARES 4GOOD CAMPAIGN In 2024 we supported the PromoCares Water4Good campaign with a $500 USD donation.
> VOLUNTEERISM – INDUSTRY & PROFESSIONAL BOARDS • In 2024, Co-Founder Sarah White served as a member of the President’s Group, a network of 25 change-driven BC business leaders who are champions for more accessible, inclusive workplaces. Sarah was also on the board of Vancouver Street Soccer League. • Co-Founder Denise Taschereau is on the board of PromoCares, an industry group dedicated to enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility in the industry. She is also a member of the PPAI, Promotional Products Industry Association Board of Directors.
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Community Impact
> VOLUNTEERISM CONTINUED • Volunteerism – Hours by Staff • 56% of our staff volunteered in our community, a slight increase from 2022. • They logged a total of 511 volunteer hours, down from 2022 • In 2024, we saw a significant increase in usage of our formal paid volunteer day, from 1 employee in 2022, to 11 in 2024.
Fairware Impact Report 2024
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2022 GOALS
Our Community Impact Goal Progress
CREATE A STAFF IMPACT COMMITTEE The committee was created to amplify our efforts, drive our in-house education and training on impact-related issues and track our progress and has continued to increase our presence in the community. PARTICIPATE IN ONE COLLECTIVE IMPACT DAY A day where we encourage Fairware staff, family and partners to participate in a community activity our 1st event was our 2023 Beach Clean Up and again in 2024. SUPPORT PROMOCARES ANNUAL 4 GOOD CAMPAIGN We donated $500 USD to the 2024 Water4Good campaign, contributing to building water towers with the Planet Water Foundation.
CREATE A SYSTEM TO MEASURE COMMUNITY IMPACT Including annual cash donations, product donations and volunteer time.
CREATE FORMAL POLICY TO GUIDE OUR COMMUNITY GIVING STRATEGY Ensure it addresses anti-racism and climate change related causes.
100% OF EMPLOYEES USE STAFF VOLUNTEER DAY Did not meet target, just over 50% of staff used their volunteer day.
DONATE BASED ON PROFIT Donate, or invest the equivalent of 10% of profit in cash or in-kind donations, nature based climate solutions and community investments annually.
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Community Impact
WHAT’S NEXT
Our 2025 Community Impact Goals
ANNUAL IMPACT DAY Fairware will host at least one annual Impact Day by 2025, inviting staff, their families, and key partners to participate in a meaningful community service activity that strengthens local connections and collective impact. SUPPORT FOR PROMOCARES 4 GOOD CAMPAIGN Fairware will actively support the PromoCares annual 4 Good Campaign, mobilizing our team and networks to contribute to industry-wide efforts that drive positive social and environmental change.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR PRODUCT DONATIONS
Fairware will build a formal partnership with community organizations to manage product donations, ensuring unused and surplus merchandise is repurposed to serve community needs responsibly and sustainably.
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT Fairware will achieve 80% participation in our staff volunteer day program, ensuring every employee has the opportunity and support to contribute their time and skills to community causes. PROFIT-LINKED GIVING COMMITMENT Fairware will commit to donating the equivalent of 10% of annual profit in cash or in-kind contributions to community partners, reinforcing our commitment to sharing success and amplifying impact beyond our business.
Fairware Impact Report 2024
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Our Approach At Fairware, we’ve always believed that business can—and should—be a force for good. As activist entrepreneurs, we don’t just sell merchandise; we use our platform to champion social justice, climate action, and sustainability. We know that our voice— individually, as leaders, and collectively as a company—can influence policy, shape industry norms, and support the communities we care about. We take stands. We have opinions. And we’re unapologetic about that. Whenever there’s an opportunity to amplify the issues that align with our values, we show up— whether that’s closing our office for a climate strike, adding our name to a petition, or publicly supporting legislation that advances equity and sustainability. We’re also getting better at tracking and measuring our impact. As we evolve, we remain committed to being an activist brand. ADVOCACY
Our Actions
Our history of advocacy includes support for:
• Bold climate action (like supporting the 2019 Climate Strike. • Paid sick leave legislation in BC. • Living Wage Standards in our local communities.
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Advocacy
> CLEAN CREATIVES In 2022, we signed on to Clean Creatives pledge. By signing we formally commit to refuse contracts with fossil fuel companies and their proxies. While avoiding these types of clients has long been our practice, this pledge made it official. We continue to be Clean Creatives signatories in 2024, standing alongside agencies and creatives who want a livable future.
> ADDED STRUCTURE In 2023 and 2024, we’ve added more structure to our advocacy work:
• We signed on to the We Mean Business Coalition’s open letter for COP28, urging governments to deliver on climate promises and accelerate the clean energy transition.
• We’ve implemented a simple tracking tool to log our sign-ons and statements of support, so we can more effectively report on our efforts.
• Our CEO continues her role on the Board of Directors at PPAI, contributing to industry-wide advocacy and helping shape a more ethical and sustainable future for branded merchandise.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 35
2022 GOALS
Our Advocacy Goals Progress
JOIN RESTORATIVE COALITION The Restorative Coalition has a mission is to create transformative change to heal our planet with the belief that by working together, we can take meaningful action to restore nature while inspiring others to do the same.
BECOME A PARTICIPANT OF THE UN GLOBAL COMPACT
The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative. This commitment is to operate responsibly, in alignment with universal sustainability principles and take steps to support the Global Goals.
BUILD FORMAL SYSTEM TO TRACK ADVOCACY Any positions we take and support we provide to issues that align with our mission, vision and values so we can better report on progress.
NOTE: All goals are labeled with one of the following progress status icons.
Pending In-Progress Paused Complete
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Advocacy
WHAT’S NEXT
Our 2025 Advocacy Goals
TRANSPARENT ADVOCACY REPORTING Fairware will track and report on our advocacy efforts with more transparently by regularly posting on our website and social media platforms when we sign on to initiatives, campaigns, or policy actions. This ensures accountability and inspires others to engage. CHAMPIONING CLIMATE JUSTICE, INCLUSION & WORKERS’ RIGHTS Fairware will lend our voice and support to movements advancing climate justice, inclusion, and workers’ rights, aligning our advocacy with our core values and amplifying the efforts of front-line leaders and organizations. INDUSTRY & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Fairware will use our influence in the promotional products industry and our local community to advocate for systemic change, sharing our efforts and encouraging peers to adopt more ethical, sustainable, and equitable practices.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 37
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Community Impact
We look to avoid, minimize, or mitigate our impacts across our operational footprint. ENVIRONMENT
Our Approach
Our day-to-day operations carry an environmental cost, from how products are shipped and packaged, to the energy that powers our office, the way we travel, and the materials we purchase. Each of these choices contributes to our overall footprint—and each presents an opportunity to do better. We know that addressing the climate crisis requires more than surface-level solutions. To remain resilient as a business—and as a community—we must rapidly decarbonize our operations and rethink the systems we depend on. The risks are clear: climate change threatens not just our industry, but also our collective health, safety, and livelihoods, as extreme weather, air pollution, and water scarcity intensify. At Fairware, we embrace the urgency of this challenge. Our commitment is to act boldly, push beyond incremental change, and embed sustainability into the core of how we do business.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 39
Our Actions
Our long-time amenities and office practices include:
• Use of a carbon neutral courier for local deliveries.
• Indoor bike parking and staff showers.
• Robust recycling and composting program.
• Purchase offsets for corporate travel.
• Purchase offsets for Fairware managed shipping.
• Energy efficiency and sensor lighting.
• A hybrid/work from home policy.
• Plant 10 kelp per invoiced order with veritree.
• Organic and Fair-Trade coffee.
• End of Life policy for misprinted/old merch. • Purchase renewable energy credits for electricity.
• Reuse of shipping boxes.
> #HELPTHEKELP In January 2023, we partnered with veritree to plant 10 kelp for every order, with a goal of planting 80,000 kelp over five years. This initiative reflects our commitment to nature-based solutions and restoring marine ecosystems. Additionally, as a member of the Restorative Coalition, we collaborate with like-minded organizations to drive transformative change, heal the planet, and inspire others to take action. > CERTIFICATIONS B Corp - We’re a founding Canadian B Corp, having certified in 2010, we are the first promotional products distributor in the world to achieve B Corp Certification. We are currently in the verification process for our 2025 re-certification. EcoVadis – We have achieved a Silver rating on our 2023/2024EcoVadis Ranking with a score of 66/100, putting us in the 88th percentile of companies ranked. While we moved up two points from our 2022 score, we’re currently completing our 2025 assessment with a goal of achieving gold.
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Community Impact
22 00 22 22 GOAA LL SS
Our Environment Goal Progress
BUILD A ‘ZERO WASTE’ STATION IN LUNCH ROOM This is to encourage use of refillable and reusable lunch and drink containers. We have take-out containers and re-usable mugs freely available to the team for use. FORMALIZE A SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICY Codify our commitment to purchasing sustainable products, reducing packaging and to viewing all purchasing through a zero waste, product safety and circular economy lens.
IMPROVE ECOVADIS CERTIFICATION Our 2023 renewal improved from 64 to 66 points, but we remained a Silver rated status and did not achieve Gold.
PLANT 80,000 KELP OVER 5 YEARS Continue to invest in traceable, high impact nature-based solutions with veritree by planting 10 kelp per invoiced order. On track with already achieving 40.91% of our target with a total of 32,516 plants (June 2025).
NOTE: All goals are labeled with one of the following progress status icons.
Pending In-Progress Paused Complete
Fairware Impact Report 2024 41
CLIMATE IMPACT We have measured and verified our GHG Emissions with Climate Smart since 2010. In 2024, we shifted partners to Aclymate, as Climate Smart was winding down its operations. As such, our report has a slightly different look and feel, although the analysis is in line with international GHG Protocol guidance. As a promotional products distributor, the majority of our GHG emissions are Scope 3, the result of shipping products to clients (in particular when air shipping is used) and in our own business travel (flying to meetings and events). As of 2024, we had yet to engage our supplier partners on the impact of manufacturing products and are exploring Aclymate’s functionality to better track, measure, and reduce emissions across our supply chain. Our Climate Plan & Net Zero Climate Commitment Our climate plan aligns our business with the worldwide campaign to limit the global average temperature to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels based on the Paris Agreement and the IPCC Report. We remain committed to halve emissions by 2030 from our baseline (2010) and achieve Net Zero by 2040.
What’s included in our GHG Inventory?
SCOPE 2 • Electricity purchased: Electricity that literally keeps our lights on in our office. SCOPE 3 • Upstream and downstream transportation: Sea, air, rail, and trucking to get our products delivered to our customers.
• Employee commuting and work from home: Travel from our teams’ home to our Vancouver offices and, starting in 2022, Impact of work from home offices.
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Community Impact
• Business travel: Travel to client meetings, sales events and conferences. This does not take into account hotel nights and taxi/ride share services. All travel in 2022 was in North America. In 2019 our travel included additional US trips to facilitate the launch of our US company.
• Waste generated: Waste that we don’t compost or recycle at our head office operations that ends up in landfill.
• Paper consumption: Paper that we consume in our Head Office for printing, in 2022 we added corrugate cardboard used for kitting projects as this has become a more significant part of our business.
• Natural Gas burned: For heating in our office.
Our GHG Inventory Does Not Include:
SCOPE 3 • Emissions from primary manufacturers and suppliers: We have executed a spend-based accounting of embodied emissions from our upstream supply chain, but have not yet directly surveyed them for more specific accounting factors. • Product End of Life: We are not able to track what happens to the products we sell after they pass into the hands of the end user. While we occasionally work with clients to ensure responsible End of Life, at this point our focus is on selling durable high-quality products that lend themselves to longevity and products that are designed with circularity in mind or are easy to repurpose or recycle in North American facilities.
Fairware Impact Report 2024 43
GHG EMISSIONS STATS
GHG EMISSIONS BY SCOPE
2024
2022
2019
2010 Baseline
Scope 1
0
0
0
0
Scope 2
.003
.11
.09
.21
Scope 3
76.24
80.77
67.71
75.68
Total Emissions
76.24
80.88
67.80
75.89
Purchased Reductions
76.24
60
20
0
20.77
47.78
75.89
Net Emissions
0
Measurements in metric tonne(s)
GROSS SCOPE 3 GHG EMISSIONS BREAKDOWN BY TYPE
Shipping: 15.91% Flights: 27.09% Spend Based: 4.24% Home Office Usage: 1.82% Downstream Transportation: 27.14% Upstream Transportation: 5.39% Commuting: 3.90% Waste: 0.38% Upstream Leased Assets: 14.15%
Purchased Reductions Scope 3 Emissions 76.24 mt
100%
Net Emissions 0
In 2024, we continued to keep natural gas usage from our leased office as a Scope 3 emission. While we don’t control the use of natural gas in our leased building, we do manage in-office thermostats and can influence consumption practices. Our total emissions decreased from 80.77 mt in 2022 to 76.24 mt in 2024.
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