Burt's Bees® Brand Issues 2012 Sustainability Report

Brand Refocuses Sustainability Efforts around Bee Health

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Jun 25, 2013, 09:07 ET

DURHAM, N.C., June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With release of its 2012 Sustainability Report, Burt's Bees charts progress across the brand's social and environmental initiatives, recasts its 2020 goals and highlights an expanded commitment to the health of bees. Against a backdrop of alarming declines in the bee population, the brand envisions its future plans for community outreach, philanthropic giving and responsible sourcing to support these important yet threatened pollinators. Efforts include greater investments in honeybee health research and sustainable agriculture paired with improvements in sourcing and traceability.

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In addition to creating specific goals around bee health, Burt's Bees is raising the bar with new goals across supply chain, contract manufacturing, and water usage. The brand is setting both short-term goals and longer-term ambitions in all focus areas for more comprehensive measurement, from source to disposal.

Following are highlights of Burt's Bees' key 2012 sustainability wins and new ambitions:

Commitment to Natural Products: In 2012, Burt's Bees 170 products were on average 99% natural, with 57% of its products at 100% natural, an increase from the previous year.

Commitment to Giving & Community Outreach: Burt's Bees shifts its Greater Good Foundation funding toward strategic programs at the intersection of human and honeybee health while quadrupling its investment in the foundation by 2020. In tandem, the brand plans to register 10,000 pollinator forage sites by 2020 through its outreach programs.

Commitment to Low-Impact Packaging: Because not everything that can be recycled is recycled, Burt's Bees strives for the highest post-consumer recycled (PCR) content possible. Approximately 35% of the brand's primary packaging is PCR content, and 42% of primary packaging is currently recyclable. Burt's Bees pledges to reduce total packaging materials by 10% and increase PCR content and recyclability by 2020.

Commitment to Responsible Sourcing & Global Supplier Community: Burt's Bees has created a three-year road map to guide the brand's approach to tracing, evaluating and monitoring priority raw materials and plans to partner with independent third parties for verification of supply chain practices in pursuit of maximum transparency. At the same time, the brand looks to reinvest in at least ten of its global supplier communities by 2020.

Commitment to Waste Reduction: While Burt's Bees has met its zero-waste-to-landfill goal in 2010, the brand's next goal is to limit waste to energy to less than 10% of total by-product, with the ultimate ambition of zero waste.

This report represents the final independent assessment for Burt's Bees; going forward, the brand's efforts will be solely reflected in the award-wining combined financial and environmental reports issued annually by the Clorox Company. The Burt's Bees brand will provide regular updates on its efforts in the sustainability section of its website as well as through its Facebook community, where stakeholders can engage in a dialogue with the brand.

About Burt's Bees
Burt's Bees has been offering earth-friendly, natural health and beauty care products for nearly 30 years. From a beekeeper's backyard in Maine to the leading edge of natural, Burt's Bees knows natural health and beauty care solutions from head-to-toe. The brand creates products for total skin health that keep The Greater Good™ top of mind. Burt's Bees has approximately 400 employees with products available in the United States and over 40 countries worldwide as well as on its website http://www.burtsbees.com.

SOURCE Burt's Bees