EnviroCitizen.org thinks Burt's Bees is a great company. They have helped to create a supply of natural personal care products in the mainstream retail market. Before Burt's Bees came along, natural personal care products were only in a small niche. Now, natural, organic products can be found in practically every grocery store in the country, as well as in many drug stores and pharmacies.
In 1984, Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz started making candles made from the beeswax that Burt got from his honey business. Within a year, they had made $20,000. That money made a substantial difference in the lives of Quimby and Shavitz, as Burt was living in an 8ft x 8ft cabin and Shavitz and her children were camping in a tent. Shortly after, Quimby and Shavitz rented an old, one-room schoolhouse from a friend. The schoolhouse had no heat, electricity, running water or windows, but it nevertheless became the corporate headquarters for Burt's Bees. They kept growing and expanded the business to making lip balm. This was the beginning of one of the most recognizable, eco-friendly personal care products companies.
The folks at Burt's Bees are fiercely committed to sustainability. They created ECOBEES (Environmentally Conscious Organization Bringing Ecologically Empowered Solutions to express their values and vision beyond the day-to-day work of Burt's Bees. ECOBEES is composed of volunteering employees that help to develop and maintain eco-friendly policies and practices.
Burt's Bees creates natural products that are effective and work as well as synthetic competitors, doing so in a way that minimizes their (and your) environmental impact. The developers of Burt's Bees products use alternatives to synthetic chemicals. For example, Burt's Bees chemists found a natural alternative to sodium lauryl sulfate, the synthetic chemical that makes shampoo and body washes lather well. The natural alternative was a combination of coconut oil and cornstarch, a simple ingredient change that reduced the product's environmental impact.
Burt's Bees is eco-friendly not just because they offer natural products, but because they act green, too. They believe that if they use materials and products found in nature, it is also their responsibility to protect and support the environment. Burt's Bees' ultimate goal is to be the most eco-friendly, green greenest personal care company worldwide. They are currently making efforts to be completely carbon-free and to operate with 100% renewable energy. They also make every effort to keep all of their waste out of landfills on a daily basis. They're offices will soon be certified by the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program! By 2020, Burt's Bees will offer products that are all 100% natural and their product packaging will be 100% biodegradable.
EnviroCitizen.org strongly believes that Burt's Bees is a great company that is leading the way towards a greener future. They are a perfect example of how a company can continue to succeed and thrive while also being eco-friendly. To purchase Burt's Bees products, view EnviroCitizen.org's great selection of natural Burt's Bees personal care products.
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