TABLE 11: Which certifications or ratings does your company currently hold? B Corporation EcoVadis (Bronze or higher) Green Business Benchmark OEKO-TEX Other third-party certifications None of the above Suppliers $100M+ 8% 50% 0% 0% 67% 17% Suppliers $25M-$100M 3% 44% 9% 26% 50% 26% Suppliers $10M-$25M 9% 18% 0% 0% 23% 64% Suppliers $3M-$10M 0% 14% 5% 5% 38% 48% Suppliers Under $3M 20% 0% 0% 0% 20% 60% Being new to the industry, having started as president of Acehigh Tech, PPAI 100’s No. 80 supplier, in January, Greg Rice says that corporate responsibility is much more institutionalized than he imagined. “Over 90% of respondents having documented and in-action policies around fair labor, worker wellbeing and workplace conduct is significant,” Rice says. Must Read | The State Of Responsibility 2026 TABLE 9: Does your company have documented policies addressing fair labor practices, worker well-being, and workplace conduct? Yes, documented and implemented Informal practices only In development Suppliers $100M+ 100% 0% 0% Suppliers $25M-$100M 100% 0% 0% Suppliers $10M-$25M 87% 9% 4% Suppliers $3M-$10M 95% 5% 0% Suppliers Under $3M 67% 33% 0% “Customers increasingly want to understand not only the product they are purchasing, but also where it came from, how it was made and whether the supply chain behind it meets their expectations,” Pinkley says. “We see responsibility and compliance becoming increasingly integrated into the overall value proposition rather than treated as separate initiatives.” TABLE 10: Does your company engage in structured community or social impact initiatives connected to its operations or supply chain? Yes, ongoing and measured Yes, informal No Suppliers $100M+ 77% 15% 8% Suppliers $25M-$100M 53% 35% 12% Suppliers $10M-$25M 39% 22% 39% Suppliers $3M-$10M 20% 35% 45% Suppliers Under $3M 50% 50% 0% Jackson argues that the industry hasn’t yet converged on what “verified” should mean. “A broad factory-level certification like WRAP or BSCI gets treated the same, in a lot of these 32 • OCTOBER 2026 •
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