Over the past two decades or so a lot of people -- our household included -- have tried to be diligent in our efforts to purchase products from sustainable and socially responsible businesses. While many look solely at price or the prestige value, folks of our ilk look for organic ingredients and the businesses culture of giving back to the local community. Often, this equates into spending a little bit more than we might have otherwise.
It's getting increasingly difficult to pat ourselves on our proverbial backs! Why? Because, as reported on AlterNet yesterday, "Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, Naked Juice: Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look -- They May Not Be What They Seem", far too many so-called progressive enterprises are now owned by some of the least environmentally-friendly and socially responsible corporations the world knows!
When we first hooked up with these products, they were precisely what we thought they were. However, as they grew more successful, the big corps swooped in waving huge wads of cash at the founders. Far too many of these pioneers took the money and ran -- many times completely unbeknownst to the consumer. So, we continue to purchase these products under false pretenses which thereby enriches the corporate machine.
It's getting increasingly difficult to pat ourselves on our proverbial backs! Why? Because, as reported on AlterNet yesterday, "Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, Naked Juice: Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look -- They May Not Be What They Seem", far too many so-called progressive enterprises are now owned by some of the least environmentally-friendly and socially responsible corporations the world knows!
When we first hooked up with these products, they were precisely what we thought they were. However, as they grew more successful, the big corps swooped in waving huge wads of cash at the founders. Far too many of these pioneers took the money and ran -- many times completely unbeknownst to the consumer. So, we continue to purchase these products under false pretenses which thereby enriches the corporate machine.
My first introduction to natural, organic and eco-friendly products stems back to the early '90s, when I stumbled upon Burt’s Bees lip balm at an independently owned health food store in the heart of Westport, Kansas City, Mo.
Before the eyesore invasion of ’98, when Starbucks frothed its way into the neighborhood, leading to its ultimate demise, Westport was the kind of 'hood I still yearn for. It was saturated with historically preserved, hip and funky, mom-and-pop-type establishments, delivering their goods people to people.
I was surprised more recently when I saw Burt's Bees products everywhere -- in grocery stores, drug stores, corner bodegas and big-box stores like Target and Wal-Mart. I thought to myself, fantastic; the marketplace is working, and good for Burt. He has made his mark, and the demand for his products is on the rise.
Needless to say, I was shocked when I recently found out that Burt's Bees is now owned by Clorox, a massive corporate company that has historically cared very little about the environment, but whose main industry is directly associated with harmful chemicals, some of which require warning labels for legal sale.
Clorox; yes, that's right -- the bleach company with an estimated revenue of $ 4.8 billion that employs nearly 7,600 workers (now bees) and sells products like Liquid-Plumr, Pine-Sol and Armor All, a far cry from the origins of Burt.
I now understood. The reason Burt's Bees products were everywhere was precisely because they now had a powerful corporation in the driver's seat, with big marketing budgets and existing distribution systems.
The story of Burt is a charming one gone bad...
I found a new tin of Burt's Bees Hand Balm, quite recently.
ReplyDeleteSomeone had dropped it, and I became its new owner.
Not a product I would ever dream of buying, but it smelled nice, so I use it sometimes, as a sort of tribute to the bees that made it.
I don't care who owns the company.
It is what it is:
A fairly useless, but pleasant goop.
I really don't care much about where anything might have come from, since - when you get right down to it - it all comes from the same place.
So many megamarts are taking over 'organic' products - and packaging their own versions, which by the way DOESN'T mean non-GMO - and the standards by which products are labeled organic are getting more vague as the little guy is being forced out - see Monsanto's continuous march towards control of the world's food supply, bill HR 875 heading its way into Congress...this will all lead to less diversity, less choice, less control of where our food is coming from unless we grow it ourselves. Which hopefully will remain legal. ;)
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