My name is

Andrea

I am Bhblasted Impact Report 2023

Our Impact Report

ANDREA is our Impact Report, launched in 2023 – the year Bhblasted committed to making a difference for people, communities, the environment, and the planet. It’s more than a document; it’s a visual and conceptual embodiment of our actions, values, and aspirations. Designed to grow with us, it reflects the evolution of our team, our company, and our dedication to responsibility. It marks the beginning of a path defined by innovation, sustainability, transparency, and inclusion.

Message from CEO

In 2022 we became aware of the importance of becoming a socially responsible company because we believe there cannot be business growth without considering the impacts it generates – not only from an economic-financial perspective, but also in relation to the context in which the business operates.

For this reason, in 2022, we began the transformation into a Società Benefit (Benefit Corporation) expanding our corporate purpose by incorporating objectives of common benefit tied to the economic growth of the business. Throughout 2023 we continued to take the necessary actions to pursue these objectives, modifying some of them where these proved to be inadequate in relation to our set goals.

This made us understand how essential the path towards sustainability is for defining the development and growth strategy of our business. The Impact Report therefore becomes not only a document of accountability but also a plan for programming and performance; a journey focused on corporate social responsibility. The path we have taken expresses our commitment to contributing to an inevitable social and economic paradigm shift, in which we want to play an active part.

Salvatore Sinigaglia
CEO

Atmosfere

atmosphere (noun) – A mixture of gases, impalpable and transparent. A tangible expression of the collective spirit made up of emotions, interactions, and everyday experiences owned by the people who are a part of it.

Physically, it’s a protective shell that allows life to thrive within; in our company, it’s a safe space where ideas, projects, and open dialogues can develop.

The atmosphere at Bhblasted Benefit Corporation is created by the team that brings it to life and works every day to drive the company and its products forward in an interconnected and collaborative way. Creative, innovative, and highly versatile personalities who, with their curiosity, seek and develop projects and products capable of creating change, addressing new needs, and surpassing old paradigms.

nest (noun) – Bhblasted has always been a nest, an incubator for ideas and projects, since its foundation in 2016, and even in the years prior.

Brothers Salvatore and Gianluca Sinigaglia began experimenting with technical printing innovations right in their nest: their home.

By 2013, this project had already taken shape, reading to the creation of Blowhammer, an innovative streetwear start-up based on a sustainable, on demand production model: just in time. Over the years, ideas have never been lacking, nor has the determination to bring them to life. This led, in 2016, to the establishment of Bhblasted.

In 2022, the need to communicate the company’s values externally marked a new evolution with the transition to the legal structure of a Benefit Corporation.

Bhblasted’s journey continues with ambitious goals for the future: the team is actively working to obtain the B Corp certification, confirming the company’s commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

direction (noun) – the first big choice.

Bhblasted has always chosen to take a specific path, that of digital innovation and sustainability. In pursuing its goals, it welcomes the ideas and requests of all the people who make up the workforce: every voice is important, every choice is collective.

Defining a company direction means creating guidelines, not only at management level, but also on an emotional and values-based level, in order to meet our co-designed and shared objectives.

It is an ongoing process that requires the right timing, planning and focus on company priorities. Being a Benefit Corporation helps us stay on track, focussed on the well-being of people and the planet.

The Benefit Corporation
Introduced into our legal framework in 2016 with Law No. 208/2015, Benefit Corporations operate with the aim of generating a positive impact on society and the environment, seeking to balance the interests of shareholders with those of stakeholders. Benefit Corporations represent an evolution of the traditional concept of a company. They combine profit-making with the pursuit of one or more common benefit objectives, with a clear commitment to operate transparently towards individuals, communities, territories, the environment, cultural and social goods and activities, associations, and other stakeholders.

The establishment or transformation into a Benefit Corporation involves:

    .Integrating one or more common benefit purposes to be pursued into its Statute in the exercise of its activities.

    .Communicating transparently the activities undertaken to achieve the common benefit objectives through the publication of an annual impact report which must contain:
           – a description of the specific objectives included in its bylaws;
           – the actions implemented to achieve the common benefit, as well as a description of the new objectives that it intends to pursue in the following financial year;
           – measurement of the impact generated.
    .Orienting management towards balancing the interests of members with those of all other stakeholders and achieving common benefit objectives.
    .Identifying a person within the organization who has been given the responsibility of pursuing the common benefit.

In regards of the measurement of the impact generated, it is specific that the current legislation (L.208/2015 art.1, paragraph 379) states that the evaluation of the impact generated includes the following areas of analysis:

reaction (noun) – the ability to quickly adapt to changes, constantly innovate, and manage crises with resilience; for Bhblasted, this is the key to ensuring growth in an ever-changing world.

To react is to evolve, to question oneself, and to change in order to embrace current challenges and not be caught unprepared for future ones.

The Statue
In May 2022, an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders took place which resolved to transform the company into a Benefit Corporation by incorporating specific activities for the common benefit into its corporate purpose.
Below is the full text of the article added to the statute. Art. 2.2
The company, in carrying out its economic activities, pursues one or more purposes for the common benefit, operating responsibly, sustainably, and transparently towards individuals, communities, territories, and the environment, as well as cultural and social goods and activities, entities and associations, workers, and other stakeholders. In particular, the company intends to:

  1. Limit the quantities of unsold products to avoid disposal and the resulting environmental impact;
  2. Use sustainable raw materials and recycle waste material in partnership with laboratories that produce and utilize such materials;
  3. Promote the dissemination of art and the talent of individuals, beyond religious, cultural, and geopolitical barriers, by involving artists and graphic designers from around the world in the creation of the company’s products;
  4. Promote the dissemination of art and the talent of individuals, beyond religious, cultural, and geopolitical barriers, by involving artists and graphic designers from around the world in the creation of the company’s products;
  5. Promote art and culture at the local level, encouraging, among other things, events related to the history of the area;
  6. Foster an equal and inclusive company climate, free from discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or age, permeated with values of unity, equality, and freedom of expression;
  7. Promote a safe working environment that is as plastic-free as possible.

The common benefit objectives that Bhblasted has included in its corporate statute refer to specific actions undertaken to achieve at least one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To report on the impact generated concerning governance, workers, other stakeholders, and the environment, Bhblasted Srl Benefit Corporation prepares this Impact Report. For a better representation of the actions taken to achieve the common benefit objectives and the areas in which they generate an impact, the company has modified the structure of the report compared to previous years. The reporting scope of this Impact Report is particularly related to the activities developed by the brand Blowhammer. Furthermore, some objectives, are intrinsically linked to the production and distribution work that the company performs through its subsidiary, Printsquad.

Common Benefit Objectives

OBJECTIVE

Limit the quantities of unsold products to avoid disposal and the consequent environmental impact.

AREA OF IMPACT

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT

SDGs – AGENDA 2030

Adopt sustainable raw materials and recycle waste materials in partnership with laboratories that produce and use such materials.

COMMUNITY

Participate, in partnership with non-profit organizations, in charitable initiatives that focus on the proceeds from the sale of the company’s products.

COMMUNITY

Promote art and culture at the local level,
encouraging, among other things, events
related to the history of the area.

COMMUNITY

Adopt sustainable raw materials and recycle waste materials in partnership with laboratories that produce and use such materials.

COMMUNITY

ecosystem (noun) – fig. a set of interconnected elements that interact with each other to steer the system as close to balance as possible.

For Bhblasted, from an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) perspective, there are four areas of action that must maintain balance and work in synergy: Governance, People, Community and Territory, and Environment. 

Governance
The sustainability governance of Bhblasted S.r.l. Benefit Corporation is represented by various bodies that oversee the key processes for the creation of a business model focused on sustainable development. The administration of the company is entrusted to a CEO.
Salvatore Sinigaglia
CEO

Oversight of the administrator’s actions is entrusted to a Board of Statutory Auditors, appointed in June 2023 for three financial years, lasting until the assembly convenes to approve the third financial statement. The Board of Statutory Auditors has also been assigned the functions of legal auditing of the accounts. The Board of Statutory Auditors is re-electable, and the effectiveness of its functions will end when the Board is reconstituted.
Salvatore Lorenzo Ruggiero
Chairman of the Board of Auditors
Antonio Alfano
Acting Mayor
Giuseppe Sarno
Acting Mayor

In compliance with the provisions of art. 1 paragraph 380 of Law 204/2015, the administrative body has appointed the Internal Impact Manager as the “responsible person to whom to entrust tasks and functions aimed at pursuing the common benefit”.
Egidio Manganiello
Internal Impact Manager

 

Bhblasted S.r.l. Benefit Corporation has drawn up and approved its own Code of Ethics, which sets out the principles of legality, fairness, non-discrimination, confidentiality and diligence that must be adhered to by all those who work within the company, as well as all those who collaborate in any capacity with the company in the pursuit of business objectives. An internal control system is envisaged that invites all subjects to whom the Code of Ethics is addressed to report any violations to Bhblasted’s management so that the competent bodies can adopt all necessary measures to put an end to such violations, thus ensuring respect for workers’ rights. Sustainability-related activities reach all employees through a comprehensive mandatory internal training program, both on sustainability issues and with reference to the Code of Ethics.

People

9
corporate welfare initiatives
4 in 2022

0
workplace accidents
0 in 2022

50%
interns with an employee contract upon internship completion
80% in 2022

0
average safety training hours per employee
2 in 2022

Gender Diversity

ALL EMPLOYEES
(woman 1:2 man)

1:7 in 2022

MANAGEMENT POSITIONS
(woman 1:2 man)

1:3 in 2022

Common Benefit Goals

1.Promote an equal and inclusive corporate climate, without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion or age, permeated by the values of unity, equality and freedom of expression.

2. Promote a safe and plastic-free working environment as much as possible.

With the definition of these two objectives, Bhblasted S.r.l. Benefit Corportion has identified significant challenges related to its workforce in creating an inclusive corporate climate that respects gender differences and focuses on personal growth. During 2023, the company redefined certain activities and their respective reference targets during the drafting of the previous financial year’s Impact Report, but in the implementation phase it became clear that they were not very representative and provided little support for achieving the set objectives. Bhblasted prioritizes the affirmation and growth of individuals, aiming to create a workplace where ongoing monitoring of workforce composition ensures equity and fosters the inclusion of underrepresented groups. This monitoring considers various factors, including not only age, gender, ethnicity, or religion but also emotional disabilities and neurobiological disorders. Regarding the failure to achieve the 2023 objective related to the activity of “providing additional training on workplace safety and health issues”, it should be noted that this was contingent on the completion of improvement works for office safety, which automatically caused the planned courses for 2023 to be postponed to the current year. Regarding the absence of results for 2023 related to: – ongoing monitoring of the workforce composition to prevent the marginalization of underrepresented groups and/or individuals with emotional disabilities; – promotion of workforce empowerment; – compensatory activities to protect the less represented workforce, with particular attention also to the potential existence of neurobiological disorders (e.g. DSA, ADHD, Autism); We would like to point out that the definition of the above-mentioned activities was carried out in 2023, with the realization that the activities and objectives previously identified in 2022 were not adequate for pursuing the common benefit objective. As for the targets, these were identified only in 2024 and will therefore be reported in the future Impact Report.

Community and territory

12
artists involved
2 in 2022

9
nationalities of the artists involved
2 in 2022

€600
annaul giving
0 in 2022

2
partnerships activated with specialist laboratories
2 in 2022

2
disclosure and awareness events carried out
0 in 2022

3
activities related to the history of the territory carried out
1 in 2022

3
solidarity campaigns carried out
2 in 2022

3
sponsored local events with a cultural background
1 in 2022

Common Benefit Goals

1.Limit the quantities of unsold product, in order to avoid its disposal and the consequent environmental impact.

2. Adopt sustainable raw materials and recycle waste material in partnership with laboratories that produce and use such material.

3. Participate, in partnership with non-profit entities, in charitable initiatives aimed at benefiting from the proceeds of the sale of the company’s products.

4. Limit the quantities of unsold product, in order to avoid its disposal and the consequent environmental impact.

5. Promote art and culture at a local level, encouraging, among other things, events related to the history of the territory.

By defining these objectives Bhblasted S.r.l. Benefit Corporation has identified important challenges:

  • Promoting principles of the circular economy.
  • Reducing waste production and promoting responsible consumption and production styles.
  • Strengthening the partnership to achieve the goals of Agenda 2030. Promote intercultural and artistic contamination for mutual growth and enrichment.
  • Breaking down the system of prejudices that fuel inequalities between peoples. Generating a positive impact in the territory in terms of diffusion of local art forms.
  • Promoting the socio-cultural growth of specific territories.
  • During 2023, the target linked to liberal donations for third sector entities was redefined with the choice of allocating a predetermined annual giving in order to facilitate its measurement, contrary to what happened in the previous year, in which the data was linked to a percentage value on the total turnover.

Environment

Common Benefit Goals

1.Limit the quantities of unsold product, in order to avoid its disposal and the consequent environmental impact.

2. Adopt sustainable raw materials and recycle waste material in partnership with laboratories that produce and use such material.

3. Promote a safe and plastic-free working environment as much as possible.

By defining these objectives Bhblasted has identified three important challenges:

  • Eliminate waste material and reduce consumption.
  • Promote the principles of the circular economy in the company.
  • Reduce waste production and promote responsible consumption and production styles.

    For transparency, it is highlighted that the reporting related to “investments in machinery for plastic reduction” has been eliminated, as it was realised that the previously identified goal does not correspond to the current type of business, which does not involve the production of waste or other plastic materials. It is important to provide some information regarding the interpretation of the 2024 goals related to eliminating the quantity of unsold products, which, from a preliminary analysis, may seem worse than in 2023. In 2023, Bhblasted carried out an important rebranding activity for the clothing brand Blowhammer, creating the need to eliminate existing stocks to make way for the new line officially launched in March 2024, which has improved not only from a commercial perspective but also in terms of: – reduction of the percentage of polyester used in the production phase; – elimination of plastic in packaging; – increased availability of cotton items in the catalogue; – greater attention to selecting suppliers who demonstrated a more sustainable approach and range of fabrics.

action (noun) – collective action, acting for a purpose, a defined objective: creating a positive impact, building a story, reconnecting with communities, regions, and stakeholders.

To achieve this, in 2023, Bhblasted continued its entrepreneurial growth in both business model development and the implementation of sustainability and inclusion activities.

This Impact Report accounts for the activities undertaken during the fiscal year to pursue the common benefit objectives integrated into the corporate statute and serves as an essential tool to facilitate a greater understanding of our reality and the impacts generated within the economic system in which we operate, as well
as those we are committed to generating through the definition of the 2024 objectives.

Egidio Manganiello
Internal Impact Manager

2024 Goals

PEOPLE

1:2
ratio of women to men to total employees

1:2
ratio of women to men in management positions

1
survey questionnaires response rate on corporate climate and well-being

1
education and training to overcome emotional difficulties or disabilities

10
corporate welfare initiatives

80%
interns with an employee contract upon internship completion

1
survey questionnaire and provision of compensatory tools

0
workplace accident

4
average safety training hours per employee

COMMUNITY & TERRITORY

10
average time (hours) to fulfill customer request

4
partnerships activated with specialist laboratories

€4500
annual giving

3
solidarity campaigns carried out

13
artists involved

5
nationalities of the artists involved

3
disclosure and awareness events carried out

3
sponsored local events with a cultural background

3
activities related to the history of the region carried out

ENVIRONMENT

6%
products that remain in stock for more than a month

90%
of the total material
disposed of

33%
product made with
recycled material

20%
undisposed wasted material

0%
products with plastic in packaging