What could be a better product for your body and the environment than something made from 100% natural ingredients? Founded in 1984, Burt’s Bees offers personal-care products that are natural and earth-friendly. It packages most of its products using recycled materials and does not use animals for testing. According to its web site, at least 10% of burtsbees.com sales revenues are pledged to selected partners.
Whole Foods Market opened its first store back in 1980 in Austin and has flourished into a leader in natural and organic food markets. The supermarket uses alternative energy in its stores, including wind and solar power. It’s also in the process of changing product packaging to biodegradable materials.
This environmentally-friendly company was established in 1970 by Tom and Kate Chappell after moving to rural Maine from Philadelphia. The company is dedicated to making personal-care products, such as toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, dental floss, and soap from natural ingredients. The company also donates 10% of pre-tax profits to charities.
Formerly known as Ponto Markets, which opened in 1958, Trader Joe’s has grown into a successful and environmentally- friendly company. All of the supermarket’s products are void of artificial flavors, genetically-modified ingredients, MSG and added trans fats. The company is also committed to helping its customers make the right decisions for their lifestyles by labeling its products with different symbols representing vegan, vegetarian, fat-free, gluten-free or kosher products.
Launched in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google has grown into one of greenest companies in America. Bicycles are used on the search giant’s campus to travel between meetings and the on-site chefs serve up healthy food made from as many organic ingredients for lunch and dinner. Renewable energy is a primary goal for the company, including a pledge to be carbon neutral. It also invests in projects aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Established in 1945 by Albert and Sidney Musher, Aveeno offers beauty products made from natural ingredients like oats, soy, lavender, chamomile and ylang-ylang. All of its products are packaged in recyclable materials. Aveeno has also turned to solar energy in its facilities.
Founded in 1886, SC Johnson is committed to producing healthier and more environmentally-friendly household products. The company makes it easy for customers to find out what is in its products with the development its new web site-www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com.
Established in 1930, this supermarket chain spans across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. Its mission is to be ‘the premier quality food retailer in the world.’ Publix has taken considerable steps toward being a greener company and created Publix Greenwise Market which sells products that are either all natural, organic, or earth friendly.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft has grown into a thriving global company. While the nature of its work requires a large amount of energy, the company has advanced ways to minimize its products' impact on the environment. It has developed new programs that reduce energy use in computers, which simultaneously helps the environment and the consumer by lowering energy costs.
Established in Sweden in 1943, IKEA spans across four different continents. The company is committed to using materials made from the least-harmful products that will minimize greenhouse effects. It also claims to have implemented solar energy into many of its stores in its quest to use renewable energy sources.