Remember that  you may be able to find small and local for some products.  For example, I buy soap and lip care from a small local business that started selling at the local farmer's market  and now also does mail order (Moon Dance soaps).   So keep your eyes open and see what you can find to support your neighbors and cut down on transport-generated carbon.

Clorox is trying really hard to break into the green market not only with Burt's Bees but with their new product line called Green Works which I think is great, however their other products are not green and in particular the company still uses animal testing on other items. I think its really surreptitious to promote that certain products such as Burt's Bees and Green Works aren't tested on animals and are eco-friendly while many of their others are tested and not green. But if Clorox is going to reach consumers that aren't already aware about environmental issues or who wouldn't otherwise care, then that's great and really important. I myself perfer to go with the smaller, new or local businesses that "are striving even harder than the established "alternatives" were to do right by the planet and their workers."

is to make it yourself, of course. But I'm sure you knew that already.

Thanks Triskele. I agree completely. I too was disappointed at the sell out of both Burt's & Tom's - for me it was kind of like finding out my favorite slippers that were once made in the US are now manufactured in China.  Buying local is both better for the planet, and your local economy. I discovered a line of skin care products I like better than Burt's Bees that are made right here in Maine using organically grown ingredients - Aveena made in Rockport Maine. They even let visitors tour their over 2 acres of organic gardens and the owner Deb Soule is often on hand to answer any questions about thier skin care product line and their herbal medicines.

The additional item of concern in the big-fish-eats-smaller-fish buyout of companies is where the products will now be made. If these once domestically made products will now be made overseas, we need to think about the impact of buying personal care products that were shipped across the ocean using much fossil fuel after being manufactured by people making less than adequate wages.

Opt for local. You may just discover a new favorite product.

I agree 100% with buying local. In my opinion it is the answer to all of these questions.

That being said, I still see this changeover of companies from traditional practices to those that can be considered more sustainable as a fantastic thing. Change is great but does also take time. Standards will have to be set and the best role models can be those that are able to make these changes but also make lots of money at the same time.

Thank you for the info. I would like to tell Clorox that I will no longer purchase Burt's Bees products. I cannot support an industry that performs tests on animals for ANY reason, especially cosmetics. It's very sad that ethical companies get greedy and sell-out. You can sugar coat it all you want to, but the fact is that the loyalty and dedication that consumers of these natural products were providing was not good enough for them and they wanted more money.

A lobbyist visited Abraham Lincoln one day, so the story goes. When the president was ready for the visitor, a big man with powerful backers, his personal secretary, we'll call him Charlie, let the man in. The lobbyist had a proposition for the president, and as we already know--because we know all about lobbyists--it was dastardly proposition.

Charlie was able to overhear as the voices grew louder. "Three thousand dollars?" asked the lobbyist.

"No sir," replied the president.

"Five thousand then."

"Good day, sir, it is time for you to leave."

"Ten Thousand Dollars!?"

With that, the door to the Oval Office flew open and the president brought the man into the foyer. "Please see this man out, Charlie, right now."

Charlie had not caught the details of the proposal, but he caught the general drift. Later that day, after transcribing a letter for the president, Charlie lingered before leaving.

"Yes, Charlie, what is it?"

"I would just like to say, Mr. President, that I am constantly inspired by your character, by your ability to resist...."

"Do not idolize me, Charlie," interrupted the president, "the man was approaching my price."

Temptation exists. Human frailty exists. We all have a price.

One of the keys, then, is to pay attention to how we build our systems, how we structure rewards, how we define purpose and function.

We have not-for-profit organizations and for-profit businesses. What is the purpose of a for-profit business?

Profit.

We start businesses with the best of intentions. If we are smart and lucky and we persevere, we start to succeed. We do well while doing good. By the time the big man visits us, everything--our friends, the culture, the checkbook balance--everything has reinforced the message that we are a success, that we deserve whatever it is that the big man has to offer. Why? Because we have served our purpose. We have made a profit.

What, now, are we to say to those of us who have done very well while doing good? What are we to say to those of us who have played the game by the rules and played it well? Are we to tell them that their buyout is their sellout?

Nah.

We all have a price.

Instead what if we changed the rules of the game? What if the exclusive purpose of business was not profit? What if the purpose of business was service? What would that game look like?

That game would look like the cooperative business model. And it is a winning game.

Cooperatives are businesses that are owned and controlled by their members. They exist to serve their members' economic interests. While cooperatives are economically self-sustaining and able to turn a profit like any other businesses, their purpose is service, not profit. Since cooperatives are democratically controlled by their members on the basis of one member, one vote, they are seldom bought out. Members equitably share in business proceeds with no one member benefiting vastly beyond the others, hence cooperatives seldom sellout.

We could change the rules of the game in other ways as well. We could begin to expect companies to internalize costs. We could have our elected leaders step up to the plate. There are many bright people out there with many good ideas, Paul Hawken, Bill McKibben and Robert Reich to name only a few.

It wasn't Abe Lincoln's ability to resist temptation that saved him. And that is not what stirs us about the story. He was human and he knew it. He did not fall to hubris. And that ironically is worth idolizing.

Charlie got it right after all.

I am certainly not anti-corporation or anti-profit; however, the reason I supported these companies was their naturalness and the integrity of the companies (trying to let my dollars count socially). These companies (Clorox, Unilever, Colgate, etc) are not going to change internally. They will not stop animal testing because it's cheaper than the alternative, they are selling some green products because they see the market. I don't begrudge Burt and Tom their money, I just won't be supporting these products anymore.