Burt's Bees switches to sustainable manufacturing

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Renewable energy

Leading natural personal care player Burt's Bees says that its
switch to renewable energy is a step towards more sustainable
manufacturing principles that will offset its carbon footprint.

The company says that it purchased 3,954,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by farms across America to power its manufacturing and distribution operations. The purchase is estimated to avoid the equivalent CO2 emissions made by nearly 563 passenger cars annually. "Burt's Bees is committed to supporting the development of clean renewable wind energy and to continuously improve our company's overall environmental footprint,"​ said John Replogle, CEO of Burt's Bees. "In addition to the energy and resource conservation efforts we currently have in place, this purchase of wind RECs is a step in the right direction as we do our part to move our country towards a more sustainable energy future,"​ he added. Campaign carried through to workforce ​ Likewise, the company is carrying the campaign through to a grass roots level by also encouraging its workforce to subscribe to the RECs program for their own home energy needs through the introduction of an incentive scheme. The Colorado-based company says it has agreed to pay 50 percent of the employees first year of charges associated with the scheme as part of their benefits package. The move hopes to tap into consumer demand for health and well-being, which is prompting increasing demand for ethically and sustainably produced goods. Adds to campaign over naturals regulation​ As well as waving the sustainability flag, Burt's Bees has also been heavily involved in a campaign to clarify the regulation of natural and organic personal care products. This stand has recently culminated in an advertising campaign to help create a level playing field in the natural market by educating consumers about what constitutes a natural product. Launched last week, the campaign is being used to promote tighter labeling standards for natural cosmetics to prevent manufacturers from marketing their products as 'natural' when they contain only trace amounts of natural material. It will consist of six print advertisements that will attempt to educate consumers about what constitutes a natural product and explain how to identify one.

Related topics Market Trends

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