When we do our part to help save the environment we expect the businesses that we buy from to do the same. Fortunately, we have Mindful Companies® like Burt’s Bees which sell natural Eco-beauty products.
The ultimate goal of Burt’s Bees is to be the “greenest personal care company on Earth.”
Its roots are grounded in Maine where Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz first met in 1984. Shavitz sold honey for a living and teamed up with Quimby to sell beeswax candles at a local fair. They initially made $200, but saw the beginnings of a business. With 30 hives and a rented one-room schoolhouse, they got to work. Now, with products in the U.K., Australia, Japan, and Canada, the company’s global and their sales reached over 250 million in 2007.
Burt’s Bees, which uses Shavitz’s name and likeness on the package, has also expanded their product line to over 150 items. The company began with beeswax candles, and then ventured into soaps and perfumes, using natural recipes from old Farmer’s Almanacs. Their next addition, lip balm, is still their most popular product. Now they also sale lotions, toothpaste, natural acne solutions, sun care products and products for babies.
The ingredients in Burt’s Bees products are safe, biodegradable and animal-testing free.
According to their website, their chemists are trained in traditional fields of botany and natural personal care. Their products are made from natural ingredients like beeswax, botanical oils, herbs, flowers, milk, and minerals. And it’s not just their products that are green but their packaging as well, which is made from recycled materials.
Burt’s Bees believe that working for the greater good begins at home. They’ve transitioned their headquarters (now in North Carolina) into a more sustainable operation. They educate employees through environmental sessions. And in order to help the community, they created a non-profit organization, Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation, and they’ve partnered with other organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Nature Conservancy.
In 2008, Burt’s Bees officially became a part of the Clorox company brand. Though no longer independently owned, Burt’s Bees is still a trendsetter for eco-beauty products and gives back to its employees, our global community and the environment.