Dr. Bronner’s Marks Second Year of Core Commitment to Support Animal Advocacy Work
Top-Selling Natural Brand of Soap Donates Over $150,000 to a Variety of Organizations and Initiatives
November 9, 2015
VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America, is pleased to mark the second year of its commitment to vegetarian advocacy and animal welfare as a core focus of the company’s activism efforts, alongside its ongoing commitment to Fair Trade, organic integrity, GMO labeling, industrial hemp farming, drug policy reform and other causes.
“As a dedicated vegan, I’m proud that my family is committing resources over the long-term to take on the terrible plight of farm animals and to promote more compassionate and sustainable dietary choices,” says David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s. “One doesn’t have to be vegan to want to reduce the incredible suffering of animals in factory farms and to lower overall meat consumption,” continues Bronner.
Support for Leading Organizations in the U.S.
At the beginning of 2015, Dr. Bronner’s pledged to donate over $130,000 by the end of the year to Compassion Over Killing, The Humane Society of the United States and other effective organizations that advocate on behalf of animals and work to reduce animal suffering, including The Humane League, Mercy for Animals, Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, Strongest Hearts, Our Hen House, and Poplar Springs and Vine Sanctuaries. David Bronner continues to sit on the Farm Animal Protection Council of the Humane Society of the United States for his second year in a row. The company has also committed funds to support promotional efforts for the film Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret by directors Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn. In addition to financial donations, the company has donated its soaps and other products to support vegetarian festivals, educational events and animal sanctuaries around the country throughout the year.
“Compassion Over Killing and Dr. Bronner’s share a mission to create a kinder, greener, and healthier world,” said Erica Meier, Executive Director of Compassion Over Killing. “We’re proud to partner with such a conscientious company,” continued Meier.
New Educational Materials
This year, Dr. Bronner’s created a new “Guide to Eating with a Conscience” to educate the public about why plant-based diets are healthier for our bodies, more environmentally sustainable, reduce hunger and other social ills, and to encourage consumers to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle, thereby reducing the harm of animal agriculture—a leading cause of climate change, generating 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Dr. Bronner’s is a great example of a company with a conscience and mission to use its influence to benefit all,” said Paul Shapiro, Vice President of Farm Animal Protection at The Humane Society of the United States. “Whether through its ‘no animal testing’ policy, its wide line of products without animal ingredients, or its high standards for eco-friendly ingredients, Dr. Bronner’s is setting an important humane standard for its sector. The Humane Society of the United States is proud to partner with our friends at Dr. Bronner’s in helping build a kinder world,” continued Shapiro.
Supporting Farm Animal Protection in the UK
From October 2014 to June 2015, Dr. Bronner’s donated 20 pence from every bottle of Dr. Bronner’s 473 ml and 946 ml bottles of liquid soap sold in the United Kingdom to support the work of Compassion in World Farming. During that period, Dr. Bronner’s sold 68,124 bottles of 473mls liquid soap and 59,436 bottles of 944ml liquid soap, a total of 127,560 units in the UK marketplace, raising a £25,512 for the organization. This amount was donated in addition to Dr. Bronner’s dedicated, separate budget for giving to animal advocacy related causes.
“We would like to send a huge thank you to Dr. Bronner’s for supporting our work. We highly value their brand and they are truly an inspiration,” said Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming. “If more companies worked the way they did the world would be a much better place,” continued Lymbery.
Partnership with Sea Shepherd to Support Ocean Conservation
Starting in June of this year, Dr. Bronner’s partnered with Sea Shepherd to support the group’s campaign to save pilot whales off the coast of the Faroe Islands.
“Sea Shepherd’s approach to the conservation of the world’s oceans and protection of marine wildlife is essential and unprecedented,” said Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “Dr. Bronner’s and Sea Shepherd share a set of ethics and beliefs that ground both our organizations. I am inspired and humbled by the individuals who make up Sea Shepherd and how each does their part together to confront injustice and make positive change in the world,” continued Bronner.
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Their mission is to end the habitat destruction and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans, in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and marine species. Dr. Bronner’s supplied soap to the three Sea Shepherd ships departing Bremen, Germany for the 2015 Faroe Islands Pilot Whale Defense Campaign, Operation Sleppid Grindini. Since this campaign, Dr. Bronner’s has continued to supply soap, virgin coconut oil, and other products to Sea Shepherd ships around the world.
“Sea Shepherd is thrilled to team up with Dr. Bronner’s. It’s so refreshing these days, in which economic growth and profit seems to rule the world, to work with a company that has a deep understanding of the consequences of our actions on the planet,” says Captain Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global. “Dr. Bronner’s not only makes great natural products but also cares about our natural world and all its inhabitants. Dr. Bronner’s is a role model of how corporations should run worldwide,” continued Cornelissen.
Continued Certification of All Eligible Products
To complement these financial contributions, product donations, and partnerships, Dr. Bronner’s is also certified by Vegan Action for all eligible products, and the company is registered by The Vegan Society in the UK. This certification assures the growing population of vegans that no animal testing or animal ingredients are used in Dr. Bronner’s products that carry the certification. The “Vegan-Certified” logo will be added to the products’ labels in the US as space allows, and it will be promoted and expanded upon further on the company’s Web site and online store.
While the formulas for Dr. Bronner’s soaps, lotions, shaving soaps, hair rinse and hair crèmes have always been vegan and have not changed, the vegan certification will help those interested in vegan and cruelty-free products shop without having to closely scrutinize all the ingredients lists. The lip and body balms have not received vegan certification, however, as they contain Fair Trade and organic beeswax. The beeswax is sourced from beekeepers in Zambia who do not kill the queen bees annually in order to maximize production, which is a common practice in conventional beekeeping operations.
Dr. Bronner’s commitment to animal welfare, sustainable agriculture and income equality reflects the company’s mission to practice the social and ecological principles that inform Dr. Bronner’s philosophy.
# # #