I’ve been following along with the Burt’s Bees saga because it holds so many key issues about business and environment, not to mention love and money. The New York Times ran a piece recently piece that goes pretty in-depth into how the company was created, how it grew and where it’s at today - which is in the hands of Clorox.
In Can Burt’s Turn Clorox Green?, the NYT’s Louise Story looks at the love story behind Burt’s Bees, the quirks of being both life and business partners and how Clorox’s future might just prove to be a more sustainable endeavor than its past. There are two big questions at stake: how green can Clorox get? and how will Burt’s fare in the process?
Already, many loyal Burt’s fans have felt betrayed by the buyout - or sellout depending on your perspective - last year to Clorox. Burt’s Bees was built on principles of environmental stewardship using local materials and emulating a down-to-earth, aw, shucks persona that struck a chord with health conscious, eco-driven consumers.
While Burt Shavitz’s image still appears on the line of health and beauty products, the reality of Burt’s Bees is far from Maine, far from local beekeepers and far from the hands of those who created the company. The last buyout, when founder Roxanne Quimby sold an 80% share to private equity firm AEA Investors, brought Burt’s Bees to the aisles of large stores like CVS, Walgreens and Target.
Now Clorox wants
to turn Burt’s Bees into a mainstream American brand sold in big-box stores like Wal-Mart. Along the way, Clorox executives state, they plan to learn from uncommon business practices at Burt’s Bees — many centered on environmental sustainability. Clorox, the company promises, is going green. - NYT
One way Clorox is trying to get greener is through the launch of a new line of all natural cleaners, Green Works. Green Works products are made from plant-based ingredients like coconut and lemon oil, biodegradable, non-allergenic, are not tested on animals, and are packaged in recyclable containers.
Can Burt’s turn Clorox green? So far, the influential gradient seems to be from Burt’s to its parent company which in these eco-conscious times is the natural path of least resistance. What do you consider Burt’s and Clorox?
The US Environmental Protection Bureau has a program called the Green Power Partnership which recognizes the top green power purchasers in the nation. The Green Power Leadership Awards for Purchasers recognizes exceptional achievement among EPA Green Power Partners in three categories:
The 
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