Burt's Bees
"True to Nature"
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Image from Burt's Bees Website
Image from Burt's Bees Website
Who are they?
Who are they?
Internationally known for its lip balms, Burt's Bees is an American company specializing in natural personal care products. Created in 1980, the company has grown from producing candles to iconic lip balms to even other skin care products. The company is a subsidiary of Clorox, another multinational company that produces a variety of consumer products. Currently, the brand provides over 250 products listed on its website.
What are their sustainability efforts?
What are their sustainability efforts?
Burt's Bees claims to uphold their 6 core values:
Ingredients from Nature
Ingredients from Nature
Claims that their products are all more than 95% natural.
Leaping Bunny Certified
Leaping Bunny Certified
The company is cruelty-free and does not test on animals.
Responsible Sourcing
Responsible Sourcing
The company ensures "strong" and "mutual" partnerships from where they source their ingredients.
Recyclable Packaging
Recyclable Packaging
Through TerraCycle, Burt's Bees claim that they recycle their plastic packaging.
Landfill-Free Operations
Landfill-Free Operations
Burt's Bees say that they have been not disposing their waste on landfills.
CarbonNeutral Certified
CarbonNeutral Certified
The company has been certified to reduce their carbon footprint from transportation of their products.
On their website, Burt's Bees showcases their sustainability efforts. The company stresses its environmental impact. The company states in their sustainability page that they recycle over 50% of its plastic packaging to which 70% of its lip balm tubes use.
Burt's Bees also encourages its customers to recycle their used products. This was made possible through their partnership with TerraCycle.
Image from Burt's Bees Website
Burt's Bees Greenwashing Incident
Burt's Bees Greenwashing Incident
The "Forever Chemical" Case
The "Forever Chemical" Case
In 2022, Burt's Bees was caught in a lawsuit accusing them of using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or the "forever chemical" in their Burt’s Bees All Aflutter Mascara, Burt’s Bees Nourishing Mascara, and Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer cosmetics. PFAS are known to cause certain cancers, liver damage, reproductive problems, thyroid issues, and immune system malfunctions.
Image by CDC from Unsplash
Image by geraldfriechrich2 from Pixabay
Examples of Greenwashing Through Social Media
Examples of Greenwashing Through Social Media
Burt's Bees' usage of the PFAS chemical has received negative feedback from the media. Several complaints were filed against the mascara products in 2022, claiming the company intentionally misled its consumers by advertising its products as "100% natural" despite the man-made substance in them.
Image from Burt's Bees Instagram page
This Instagram post of Burt's Bees Aflutter Mascara, one of the products that allegedly contain the "Forever Chemical." In the caption, the products shown here are "Great for sensitive eyes" and "plant-based." The post then included the hashtags: #naturalmakeup, #naturalcosmetics, and #burtsbeesbeauty.
Burt's Bees uses Buzz Words like "plant-based" and "natural makeup" to convince consumers that the company derives its ingredients from nature and projects a sustainable image. However, we know that this is not the case for this product.
Image from Burt's Bees Instagram page
Here is another example.
This Instagram post also features the same product that contains the "Forever Chemical". Can you spot what's wrong with its caption?
"WFH or in the office? 💻 Always put your best face forward with this power combo: our All Aflutter Waterproof Mascara + Power Brow Brow Gel 💪 Nourish lashes & brows with ingredients from nature! #naturalmakeup #naturalcosmetics #burtsbeesbeauty"
(Click to reveal the answer!)
The caption includes the phrase "ingredients from nature," which convinces buyers that they have environmentally friendly products.
Additionally, they included the hashtags: #naturalmakeup #naturalcosmetics which suggests to the customer that these products are completely made from natural ingredients when in reality, they include chemicals that even cause damages to the environment.
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