By Olivia Kuhn-Lloyd for Intent.com
When and how did social responsibility and sustainability become a company tenet at Burt’s Bees?
When Roxeanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz founded Burt’s Bees, it was with an eye to natural, wholesome ingredients and guidelines that we think of as environmentally friendly today. So we often say that sustainability and a healthy respect for the environment have always been part of the DNA of Burt’s Bees. However, in 2006, we came together to explore our roots, our values our beliefs and our future. From this shared experience came our commitment to The Great Good, a holistic framework within which we manage our operations, our products and our practices, and which looks to integrate social and environmental innovation into the way we work and live.
Why do you believe increasingly more consumers are interested in buying socially responsible, earth-friendly products?
It would be difficult in this time not to be aware of the global trends that challenge our future, from health and human rights issues ,to climate change and biodiversity, to global education and economic well-being, and the power that business has to influence those trends positively or negatively. Aside from concern for their own health and safety and that of their families, I believe that consumers are beginning to appreciate their power to drive positive social and environmental change through their purchasing behaviors by supporting those products and companies whose environmental and social values they trust and can identify with.
In your mind, what is the greatest challenge in convincing more consumers to purchase responsibly?
I believe there’s a tremendous opportunity for business to educate consumers about the true cost to the planet and its people of many of the goods and services we consume, from their source and production, right through to their ultimate disposal. I believe an appreciation of the relationship between our consumer choices and the long range social and environmental future of the planet, is key to driving socially responsible purchasing behaviors. But it will take time.
I’ve read that employee bonuses are based in part on achieving company energy conservation goals. What are some other specific ways that you involve your employees in corporate socially responsible and sustainable initiatives?
One of our 2020 goals specifies 100% employee engagement in sustainability. We are now launching a program that will become part of our Burt’s Bees culture and will facilitate attaining that goal by 2010. Live The Greater Good will provide every employee at Burt’s Bees, regardless of work level or title, with the time and tools during the work day to become involved in social outreach, environmental and worklife balance programs. Participation is not optional, and will involve education as well as hands-on engagement in areas of social and environmental sustainability, from energy and water conservation measures to waste separation to community outreach in partnership with a number of our local non profit organizations whose values align with ours.
What program or initiative are you most proud of?
The ECOBEES (Environmentally Conscious Organization Bringing Ecologically Empowered Solutions) is a volunteer team of Burt’s Bees Employees whose purpose it is to pioneer and inspire the way we think and act as a business with innovative alternatives for living and working in harmony with our environment and our community. Their dedication, creativity, flexibility and commitment continue to drive positive behavioral change within the organization. Here’s a good example of the kind of inspiration they drive: www.burtsbees.com/dumpsterday
What advice can you give employees who want to integrate sustainable and socially responsible programs into their workplace? What advice can you give to business owners in this regard?
The most helpful advice I can think is to align on and confirm long range, mid and short term goals. Without agreement on goals and a road map, it becomes difficult to prioritize and integrate initiatives, and above all, to measure their relevance and success.
What is the next step or challenge for Burt’s Bees in making its products more earth-friendly and sustainable?
We’re always looking as sustainability innovations such as materials and volume reductions in our packaging, as well as how to continue to reduce the environmental footprint of our manufacturing operations.
Read more blog posts in the Intent.com Sustainable Leadership Series here
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