Brightly wins Sustainability category at the Best Places to Work Awards 2025

We like to think “micro” businesses can do big things, and it turns out, the judges agree! 

We are proud to share that Brightly took home the Sustainability Award at this year’s Best Places to Work Awards, proving that you don’t need to be a big business to make meaningful impact. 

We were finalists in two categories – Micro Business and Sustainability – and this one means a lot: recognition that doing good can be built into the way you do business, no matter your size. 

A night to remember 

Just as the awards ceremony on 22 October was getting underway, an unexpected fire evacuation sent everyone spilling into the damp Auckland night. Our team, true to form, found the humour in it, improvising makeshift raincoats out of cardboard and heading for a nearby wine bar to wait it out. 

By the time we returned (a little soggy, but in good spirits), we were announced as the winner of the Sustainability category.  A fitting end to a night that perfectly summed up what it means to be part of Brightly: Resilient, good-humoured, and quick on our feet, we roll with whatever comes our way! 

Sustainability is everyone’s role 

Sustainability is built into the way we show up every day. As a B Corp certified and Toitū Climate Positive business, we take responsibility for both our own footprint and the broader impact of the technology we help deliver. 

In 2023–24, we achieved reductions of 35 % in Scope 2, 20 % in Scope 3, and 16 % in net emissions, while contributing $117,180 in donations and more than 50 pro bono hours to impact partners including Digital Future Aotearoa, Garden to Table, and Sustainable Coastlines. 

We operate from GridAKL’s Green Star–rated building, promote hybrid working and low-impact commuting, and recycle or repurpose all end-of-life devices through Echo Tech. In 2024 alone, 870 kg of e-waste was responsibly recycled — part of 2,949 kg since 2020 — alongside our goal of donating 50 refurbished laptops via Recycle A Device to support digital inclusion. 

Our sustainability work extends beyond our own footprint. We help customers use technology more responsibly, from recommending EPEAT Gold–certified hardware to advocating for cloud optimisation and green data centres here in Aotearoa. 

Through customer education, newsletters, and everyday conversations, we promote conscious technology use, energy efficiency, and circularity. 

What this award means 

Winning the Sustainability category among businesses of all sizes reinforces that impact isn’t defined by scale. 

For our team, it’s recognition of the care and thought that goes into every decision we make.  

For people looking for a workplace that truly walks the walk, this award is proof that Brightly is serious about creating a better world through business. Our business isn’t just about technology; our people know their efforts contribute to wider positive change. 

And for our customers, it’s reassurance that by partnering with Brightly, they’re working with a company committed to building a more sustainable, circular and responsible digital future. 

We don’t do this work for recognition; we do it because it’s the right thing to do. But the awards ceremony was a great opportunity to pause as a team and celebrate how far we’ve come! 

If you’re interested in joining us on this journey, check out our careers page for current opportunities or reach out to us at hello@brightly.nz to share more about yourself.