note from grandsons
Sometimes the problems that face us individually and collectively seem insurmountable. We had hoped that Covid-19 would be behind us by now—but it’s still here, continuing to cause suffering and uncertainty for millions. Our world has seen another war begin, causing misery overseas while exacerbating economic hardship at home. A dysfunctional political system and extractive economy continue to dangerously delay meaningful progress in solving the climate crisis. Skyrocketing inflation has put further strain on living costs, taking the biggest toll on those who already have it the hardest. The healing of our planet—and ourselves—can seem achingly out of reach.
To truly be a force for good—to helm our company through the headwinds of a pandemic, economic uncertainty, and political divisions—to help advance meaningful impact and a more constructive economy—we must be humble, honest, open, and accountable.
We must lead with heart.
It’s in this spirit that we’ve been open about our own struggles with depression and anxiety, and our own journeys to find healing and relief through psychedelic medicines. It’s why we’re among the first companies to offer ketamine-assisted therapy as part of our employee health care benefits. It’s why through innovative products like our Magic All-One Chocolate, we’re working hard to help every single farmer and worker in our supply chain have the resources they need to live a healthy, meaningful life.
It’s why we began 2022 by providing a 6.5% cost of living increase to all our employees, matching inflation rates. And it’s why we not only fund over 300 nonprofits, but strive to amplify their voices, and share tools with those activists and advocates as they lead with heart on the frontlines of movements for change. Read on to see how we put these principles into practice in 2021. Onwards!
—David & Michael Bronner
2021 financial stewardship
(Hover to view breakdown of data)
$169M
Total revenue in 2021
86%
Total sales were from U.S. markets
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uganda, United Kingdom
2021 employee statistics
(Hover to view breakdown of data)
297
Total employees in the U.S.*
*Includes total # of employees on payroll
(not temps) as of 12/31/2021
48
Managers* hired from within
*Managers were classified as those who have people reporting to them, or an individual that manages a key sector of the business individually.
40
Average age of a Dr. Bronner’s employee
Average tenure (years): 6.5
Average turnover: 3.7%
63%
Employees are BIPOC*
*Black, Indigenous, and people of color
Race & ethnicity of all employees based on EEO-1 Form*
43%
Managers are BIPOC*
*Black, Indigenous, and people of color
Racial & ethnic diversity in management
$22/hr
Starting permanent position rate
Starting temporary position rate: $20/hr
Compared to CA state min. wage*: +57%
Average annual compensation increase with positive job performance: 6.8%
Average supplemental COVID pay per employee: $3,172.29
Average Annual Stipend Pay for those who qualify: $421.18
Compensation Ratio (CEO to avg. worker)
Dr. Bronner’s caps the pay of our highest-paid executives at 5 times that of our lowest-paid fully vested position. According to a 2021 report published by the Economic Policy Institute,** in 2020 the average CEO pay in the U.S. was 351 times that of the average worker.
*Source: CA State $14.00/hr
**Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2021
*Based on the EEO-1 form, data collection mandated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from all employers with more than 100 employees. We present this data here as a work in progress, in the interest of being transparant about the racial and ethnic identities of our employees. Currently, what we have collected is more limited than we would like. Dr. Bronner's is committed to continuously improving and evolving the language we use and the approach we take in striving to implement progressive best practices related to fostering social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in our company, both in general and around this data. We aim to provide more information in future reports, as we become more confident that our employees feel safe and comfortable in their self-reporting and self-identification, especially around sexual orientation, gender, disability, and veteran status, and as we become more competent in collecting this information.
**Non-EEO-1 term
be fair to
suppliers
Climate-Friendly farming
With the launch of our Magic All-One Chocolate, we’re helping cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast improve maintenance of their orchards through thinning and pruning and supporting their transition to climate-friendly dynamic agroforestry (DAF).
DAF replicates the way plants naturally support each other in a healthy tropical forest, planting complementary crops of different canopy heights to increase biodiversity, improve yield & income, and eliminate the need for toxic pesticides and fertilizers. DAF plots, by design, promote tree and biomass growth in a favorable environment—and as a bonus, they also sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Farming Cocoa with Dynamic Agroforestry to Sequester Atmospheric Carbon—Heal Earth!
How does one motivate farmers of tree crops to renovate unproductive cocoa orchards or replant them using the DAF concept—interplanting palm, banana, and cassava along with cocoa trees? Farmers worldwide can be reluctant to adopt a new paradigm until they see proof-of-concept, so the team at our sister company Serendipalm in Ghana began to offer support in planting and maintenance of DAF plots to farmers as a “for-pay” service. Over a three-year period, three hundred farmers will plant new DAF fields on overgrown or degraded land.
Serendipalm also hired and trained about one hundred staff to help farmers in planning, planting, and maintaining their DAF fields and renovating old and unproductive cocoa land. Long term, we hope that this sizeable demonstration project will entice farmers in our district and beyond to use DAF as a more profitable, manageable, and climate-friendly approach to replanting cocoa.
Dynamic agroforestry (or mixed agroforestry) is a farming method in which a variety of crops are carefully planted together so as to maximize their benefit to one another.
Over a three-year period, three hundred farmers will plant new DAF fields on overgrown or degraded land.
Cleaning Up Cocoa
The cocoa industry is infamous for low prices paid to farmers, exploitive child labor, and ecological destruction—issues that go hand in hand. Tackling them requires a comprehensive approach that addresses poverty as a root cause by giving farmers the resources to improve farm productivity and profitability while sensitizing them to the potential harms done to the development of children.
WORKING ON THE GROUND TO FIX A “DIRTY” SUPPLY CHAIN and HELP FARMERS LIFT THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY
To ensure that no child labor occurs at the farms we buy from, Dr. Bronner’s combines education and training with internal and external monitoring. In 2020, our sister company Serendipalm in Ghana, with support from Dr. Bronner’s Special Ops team, introduced a comprehensive Child Labor Prevention pilot program. A team of seven people began tackling the issue on the ground.
The program includes training of trainers, the formation of Community Child Labor Monitoring Committees, the formation of Child Rights Clubs in schools, and training and sensitization of farmers, to be sure they fully understand which type of activities children are allowed to perform on family farms and the consequences of child labor. All the farmers we buy from are regularly visited by trained professionals from our Serendipalm’s Internal Control System to ensure that they understand and follow the rules. A Child Labor Monitoring program was set up to identify problematic cases and follow up.
The primary cause of child labor is poverty, so Dr. Bronner’s provides farmers with various opportunities that help them achieve a higher and more stable farm income. We are currently paying about $800 per metric ton ($0.36 per pound) above the conventional price. Higher yields also mean higher income. We are achieving this by helping farmers improve their cocoa productivity and quality, while supporting them in farm maintenance and renovation of old and unproductive plots. We are also giving farmers loans for farm investments and providing support that includes trainings on new techniques, regular visits by agronomists, and provision of tools, equipment and high-quality planting material.
The heart of our approach is to involve ourselves thoroughly in our supply chain, beginning with the individual farmers and their families. The conventional cocoa trade is notoriously opaque—to make true change you need complete transparency and relationships with all stakeholders.
Dr. Bronner’s pays a stable fair trade floor price, which ensures production costs are always covered and farmers always earn an income, regardless of low market prices.
We support farmers in converting farming practices to regenerative organic methods that produce higher yields and higher income.
Dynamic agroforestry creates biodiversity, improves yields and income streams, and eliminates the need for toxic pesticides and fertilizers.
Masterful Maestrani
Investing in supply chains that seek to honor land and people? Check. Sourcing premium-quality cocoa beans that also meet the highest ethical and environmental standards? Check. All we needed was a partner who could turn our world-class cocoa into mouth-watering chocolates. Enter Switzerland’s Maestrani, a company with a history and commitment to quality to match our own—the partner we needed in order to launch our Magic All-One Chocolate in 2021.
Maestrani was founded in 1852 by Aquilino Maestrani in Lucerne, separated only a few years and couple hundred miles from the start of the Bronner soapmaking enterprise in Heilbronn, Germany. Just as importantly for us, modern-day Maestrani is committed to transparency, reducing its carbon footprint, and making sure that as much of its raw materials as possible comes from fair trade sources.
Most importantly, Maestrani knows chocolate—practicing their craft with precision and dedication, working with us to produce the most delicious and socially great chocolate on Earth.
Aquilino Maestrani (1814-1880) opened his chocolate factory in Lucerne in 1852.
Maestrani today operates a modern chocolate factory, and produces over 300 different products including Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate!
2021 fair trade activity
3,958
Total fair trade oil used by Dr. Bronner’s in 2021 (MT)
$21,372,321
Total value of fair trade material sourced in 2021 (USD)
900
Local jobs created (number of workers)
Male: 622
Female: 278
8,942
Total number of smallholder farmers
Male: 6,522
Female: 2,421
$973,563
Total value (USD) spent on social community projects
Farmer support: $610,517
Health: $120,727
Education: $49,346
Water & Sanitation: $5,173
Infrastructure: $14,894
Other: $172,906
130,589
Total acres under cultivation
Certified Organic: 107,362
Regenerative Organic Certified™: 27,378
In-conversion to organic: 23,227
Number of farmers converted to organic agriculture: 1,343
Acres converted to organic agriculture: 13,719
7,397
Smallholder farmers trained in Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF)
Total farm gate purchases (USD): $32,281,566
Value spent on farmer training: $97,616
889
Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) acreage installed
Carbon Farming
Number of trees planted: 166,701
Compost distributed (MT): 29,493
Percentage of farmers cultivating cover crops: 63%
Percentage of farmers implementing reduced tillage: 30%
fund & fight for what’s right
Healing
from Within
Dr. Bronner’s has expanded its mental healthcare benefits to include ketamine-assisted therapy, as a first step in providing access to psychedelic-assisted therapy to employees to promote mental health. This innovative benefit plan is administered by Enthea, a nonprofit healthcare organization responsible for medical policy development, provider network management, and benefit plan administration.
Dr. Bronner’s partners with Enthea to offer Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for employees
The health and wellbeing of our employees is the primary driver in how we think about benefits and compensation. Offering coverage for ketamine-assisted therapy is in the interest of providing tools to our workforce to have the best quality of life and best options for mental health care. Our family and company are no strangers to depression and anxiety. We are deeply concerned about the mental health crisis society is facing, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the banner of “Heal Soul,” Dr. Bronner’s has supported numerous public education efforts, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns around the country working to advance the acceptance and availability of psychedelic-assisted therapy and medicines to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other conditions. Considering all our advocacy on this issue, this employee benefit is the next logical step.
Funding Systemic Change
Photo by Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative: Empowering Indigenous communities to reconnect with, regenerate, and conserve their sacred Peyote medicine.
Funding activism and charitable causes is one of the ways we carry out our All-One mission! It’s an honor and a privilege to share at least one third of our before-tax profits annually to charitable organizations and projects across eleven issue areas, including seven core causes: Regenerative Organic Agriculture, Animal Advocacy, Drug Policy Reform, Community Betterment, Criminal Justice Reform, Fair Pay and Fair Trade. In 2021, we gave away over 40% of profits, totaling over $8.6 million in contributions!
How we deploy resources to create positive change and unite Spaceship Earth!
We believe that lasting change emerges from effective social movements comprised of healthy and diverse ecosystems of people and organizations. Our giving seeks to help make movements stronger and more effective by providing resources to those best positioned to leverage them to influence change. We aim to continuously improve our own strategies and approaches, and at our best, be a model for other companies seeking to honor people and planet and drive lasting progressive change.
We also strive to fund projects that may be underfunded and unrecognized by conventional philanthropy due to systemic inequity. The following are three examples out of approximately 300 organizations that we are particularly proud to have supported in 2021.
Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative (IPCI) exists to empower Indigenous communities to reconnect with, regenerate, and conserve their sacred Peyote medicine. They seek to address the peyote conservation crisis in Texas and Mexico by creating land access for ecological harvest (promoting regrowth), re-establishment of plant populations (replanting), and a system of conservation management and distribution (assessments, rancher incentives & policy), fundamentally tied to Indigenous sovereignty. While dominant paradigms continue to harm Indigenous communities, projects like IPCI are centering Indigenous leadership and prioritizing the nurturing of land and communities!
VINE Sanctuary in Vermont is an LGBTQ-led refuge for farmed animals that works for social and environmental justice as well as for animal liberation. Our support helped them launch the Pride Month Vegan Challenge in 2021. The campaign seeks to educate about the benefits of a plant-based diet for improving human health and addressing climate change, as well as to educate the LGBTQIA+ community on the intersections and importance of queer and animal liberation. VINE’s ability to share stories of animals rescued from the meat and dairy industries reflects the unique power of advocacy grounded in real relationships with non-human animals in helping the public understand the collective impact of our food choices. Their work transforms lives, both human and non-human!
Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system—they continuously inspire us! Their food sovereignty programs reach over 160,000 people each year, including farmer training for Black and Brown growers, reparations and land return initiatives for northeast farmers, food justice workshops for urban youth, home gardens for city dwellers living under food apartheid, doorstep harvest delivery for food insecure households, and systems and policy education for public decision makers. Their work is changing the food system, showing us the future of food!
give & give!
2021 U.S. & International Donations: $8,676,560
-
Afro Vegan Society
Animal Equality (Mexico)
Animal Justice (Canada)
Animal Outlook (Formerly Compassion Over Killing)
Black Veg Fest
Black Vegans Rock
Compassion in World Farming UK
Compassion in World Farming USA
Earth Species Project
Encompass
Factory Farming Awareness Coalition
Farm Forward
Farmed Animal Funders
Good Food Institute
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
La Raza for Liberation
Our Hen House
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary
project FANG: Animal Rights Prisoner Support
Reducetarian Foundation
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Sea Shepherd Global
Sistah Vegan Project
SÜPRMARKT (SÜPRSEED)
Transfarmation Project of Mercy for Animals
Vegan Outreach
VINE Sanctuary
Womxn Funders in Animal Rights
YEA Camp -
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) (Shopping Gives)
Building Bridges Haiti
Flex Your Rights Foundation
Gender Blender, a program of Gender Illumination
Gender Illumination
Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)
One Step Closer (OSC2) - JEDI Collaborative
San Diego Pride - She Fest
Trans Lifeline
Dr. Bronner’s Family Foundation: Migration Justice Initiative -
Blessings of the Forest
Burning Man Project
Butte County Local Food Network
City of Vista, Moonlight Amphitheatre
Duwara Consciousness Foundation
Family Giving Plan
Forging Impact
Gentle Barn
Grassroots Aid Partnership
Home for Contemporary Theatre and Art
HOPE Network, Inc.
La Resistencia
LuvWorks
Mad Agriculture
Oceanside Kitchen Collaborative
QueerDome
Reclaim Rent Control
Shopping Gives
Training Education & Resource Institute (TERI)
We Are Family DC
WorldBeat Cultural Center, The Leslie Goldman Enchanted Garden -
Defy Ventures
Essie Justice Group
Fair Shake
Jail Guitar Doors -
Americans for Safe Access
Cascadia
Chacruna Institute
Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
CHEM Global Campus Project
Church of the Eagle and Condor
Church of the People for Creator and Mother Earth
Clarity Project
DanceSafe
DRCNet Foundation
Drug Policy Alliance
Emerge Law Group
Enthea
Erowid Center
Fireside Project
Freedom to Operate
Fruiting Bodies Collective
Guardian Grange
Harvard Divinty Project
Healing Advocacy Fund
Health Equity Program
Heffter Research Institute
Helix Consulting Group
Heroic Hearts Project
Horizons PBC
Impact Fund - TBD Nata Partners
Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative (IPCI)
Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative of the Americas (IRI)
Innertrek
International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service (ICEERS)
LA Equity Fund
Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP)
Marijuana Policy Project
McAllister Garfield, P.C
Milo Group
Mimosa
MIND Foundation gmbh
Mintwood Strategies
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Nathan Howard
New Approach Advocacy Fund
New Approach PAC
North Star Project
Nu Leaf Project
One Step Closer (OSC2) - Cannabis Collaborative
Oregon Psilocybin Society
People of Color Psychedelics Collaborative
Plant Medicine Coalition
Plant Medicine Foundation
Porta Sophia (A Program of Usona Institute)
Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative
Rebecca Martinez
Roots to Sky Sanctuary
Sacred Garden Community Church
Sacred Plant Alliance
School of Consciousness Medicine
Sia: The Comanche Nation Ethno-Ornithological Initiative
Society for Psychedelic Outreach, Reform and Education
Society for Psychedelic Outreach, Reform and Education (SPORE)
Solstice Group (Formerly Somatic Center of Portland)
Spearitwurx
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Sun+Earth Support Venture
Temple Mother Earth
Temple of the Way of Light
UMIYAC - United Indigenous Medics of Yahe Amazon of Colombia
Usona Institute
Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions
Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)
Veterans of War
Vote Hemp
Zendo Project
-
BioSafety Alliance (Soil not Oil Conf.)
Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons
Climate Foundation
Friends of the Arava Institute
Friends of the Earth
Honor the Earth
Protect Our Winters
Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation
San Diego Food System Alliance
Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
Story of Stuff Project
Surfrider Foundation
Wellspring -
Business for a Fair Minimum Wage
Fair World Project -
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
Center for Mind Body Medicine
LifeNabled
Lupus Foundation of America -
Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center
Coastal Roots Farm
Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm)
Ecology Center
Grain Place Foundation
Grow Ahead Foundation
HEAL Food Alliance
Humboldt County Growers Alliance
Imlakesh
Indigenous Regeneration
Kiss the Ground
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
OrganicEye, A project of Beyond Pesticides
Origins Council
Real Food Generation (Real Food Challenge)
Real Organic Project
Regenerative Earth Summit
Regenerative Organic Alliance
Sandler Reiff
Slow Food Urban San Diego
Soul Fire Farm Institute
Sun+Earth Certified
U.S. Right to Know -
Barrio Botany
Boys and Girls Club
Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego
Boys to Men
Carlsbad Educational Foundation
Rajepre - Winter Luc
Safe Horizon (Streetwork Project)
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
Share Talent! Build Capacity!
Photo by Sativa Murray: Dirt Don’t Hurt co-founder, Maritza Murray
As a leading brand in the natural products industry, we believe we have a responsibility to share what we have learned to help in the development of mission aligned businesses. In 2021, we started a mentoring program supporting small, BIPOC-led companies. In our pilot year, we selected Dirt Don’t Hurt, a San Diego based company owned and operated by an amazing trio of sisters—Kaya, Maritza, and Sativa—making oral care and beauty products.
Dr. Bronner’s launches a small business mentoring program and a training series for nonprofits
Our goal is to share the expertise, connections, and experience of our team to share knowledge and connections that will help them to build the infrastructure they need to grow, while maintaining their commitment to sustainability and social justice.
We also launched a free training series for our nonprofit partners to share knowledge with staff, board members, and volunteers of the organizations we donate to annually. We gave two trainings in 2021: “An Introduction to Using the Objective & Key Results (OKRs)” and “Best Practices for Individual Donor Fundraising.” Members of over 70 nonprofit organizations participated in our inaugural year of this series.
In a connected world, the only real prosperity is shared prosperity, which is why we spend so much of our energy and resources to help create a just and ethical global economy that supports life and living systems. Our small business mentoring program and our nonprofit training series are both created with this understanding!
All-One activism
JANUARY
Dr. Bronner’s supports menstrual hygiene education initiative in rural India. | Publicly endorses the Plastic-Free California Ballot Initiative.
FEBRUARY
With Dr. Bronner’s support, Senator Scott Wiener introduces Senate Bill 519 to decriminalize psychedelics in California and provide regulated access to psychedelic therapy | Dr. Bronner’s highlights youth services and community betterment programs in San Diego area through ShoppingGives platform. Our customers raise money for Alliance San Diego, Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego, Boys to Men, and TERI.
MARCH
Dr. Bronner’s opposes hate towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. | Portfolio Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House publishes new book, Honor Thy Label, by Dr. Bronner’s VP of Special Operations Gero Leson about our unconventional journey to build a clean, green, and ethical supply chain.
APRIL
Dr. Bronner’s supports San Diego area agencies in providing much needed aid to migrant children. | Company promotes Seaspiracy—a documentary that takes a close look at industry-driven impact on the planet’s oceans, from plastic pollution to the fishing industry. | Holds week of virtual and onsite programming for employees related to Earth Week.
MAY
David Bronner outlines why we need constructive approaches and not extractive capitalism in the burgeoning psychedelic industry.
JUNE
Dr. Bronner’s outlines support for 5 policy changes to transform public safety. | Company celebrates Juneteenth. | The California Senate passes Senate Bill 519, clearing it to be considered by the Assembly (Assembly vote paused til 2022).
JULY
Dr. Bronner’s partners in India, Pavitramenthe continues to support Covid relief efforts in Northern India to improve the livelihoods of 6,000 people connected to the farming operations we source our peppermint oil from. | Company publicly shares our challenges and progress on addressing our plastic use through blog.
AUGUST
Dr. Bronner’s highlights social justice oriented animal advocacy organizations through ShoppingGives platform. Our customers raise money for Encompass, La Raza for Liberation, and Vegan Outreach.
SEPTEMBER
David Bronner publishes latest statement of support for raising the minimum wage for all workers and paid overtime for farmworkers. | David also weighs in on the latest toll of genetic engineering of major crops on the ecosystems, people, and planet. | More than 130 Dr. Bronner’s employees participate the #Call4ClimateNOW campaign to urge Federal Legislators to adopt bold climate policies.
OCTOBER
Dr. Bronner’s promotes new line of chocolate to support farmers working to improve the health and productivity of existing palm and cocoa trees in eastern Ghana through dynamic agroforestry.
NOVEMBER
Dr. Bronner’s highlights environmental organizations through ShoppingGives platform. Our customers raise money for Regenerative Organic Alliance, Sun+Earth Certified, Soul Fire Farm, and Compassion in World Farming. | Dr. Bronner’s Social Action Department facilitates collection of 34,000 signatures from registered voters in DC in November and December to qualify Initiative 82, the 2022 ballot measure to increase the minimum wage for tipped employees in Washington, DC.
DECEMBER
Dr. Bronner’s marks one year of Covid-19 product donation program—which we affectionately call our “Mutual Aid” donation project—distributing 88,000 Organic Hand Sanitizer and Pure-Castile Soap products in 2021. | Dr. Bronner’s Announces Recipients of 2021 Animal Advocacy Donation Program | Dr. Bronner’s supports a coalition to draft and file the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022, a Colorado ballot initiative that would make natural psychedelic medicines available to all adult Coloradans.
Do Plastic Better
As we work towards a fully circular solution to packaging, Dr. Bronner’s continues its commitment to using PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials as much as possible. By using PCR plastic, we conserve virgin resources, reduce landfill, and capitalize on energy already invested in making existing plastic products. We were the first brand to use 100% PCR in all our cylinder bottles back in 2003, and today we continue to increase the PCR in all of our plastic packaging.
In 2021, we increased the PCR content of our flip-top caps to 25% PCR—a big sourcing challenge for us historically–and we’re continuing to test and work toward even higher PCR content for our caps and other packaging closures, bits and pieces. We also committed to ensuring 100% PCR bottles for all of our plastic bottles – which means switching our gallons and half gallon jugs to 100% PCR in 2022. This switch is important because it underscores the environmental values of buying larger-size bottles as a way to lower single-use plastic impact and and will mean that all of our liquid soap bottles are 100% PCR in 2022.
As we work to lower our plastic footprint we also encourage our customers to try our bar soap and shop bulk options such as our gallons and half gallons and from refill shops where available.
2021 environmental Footprint
(Hover to view breakdown of data)
45,990,844
Total weight (lbs) of all products shipped
including packaging
Net Packaging Content:
Paper: 1,549,906 (lbs) / 3%
Metal: 34,442 (lbs) / <1%
Plastic: 2,522,210 (lbs) / 5%
Glass: 510,495 (lbs) / 1%
71%
Total packaging from 100% PCR* material
*Post-Consumer Recycled
**By United States recycling standards
1,437,155
Waste Generation Total (lbs)
78%
Fair Trade Certified raw material
75%
Organic Certified raw material
6,750,918
Gallons of water used
75,577 Mt
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Total MT CO2e)†
Scope 1 Direct: 678 (MT CO2e)*
Scope 2 Energy Indirect: 0 (MT CO2e)** Market-based approach
Scope 2 Energy Indirect: 357 (MT CO2e)** Location-based approach
Scope 3 Other Indirect: 74,899 (MT CO2e)***
2,051,407
Electricity (kWh) used
We are proud to be 100% Renewably Powered!
Other energy used:
Natural Gas (therms): 79,819
Fuels Used for Vehicles (gal): 19,937
Propane (gal): 1,773
Greenhouse gas emissions are calculated in three “scopes”
*Scope 1 emissions are those from cources we directly own or control (e.g., our vehicles).
**Scope 2 emissions are from the electricity used at our factory. For Scope 2 emissions, we report both market-based and location-based figures following the GHG Protocol. Location-based emissions (357 MT CO2e) reflect the non-renewable electricity we used from the local grid. Market-based emissions (0 MT CO2e) reflect the renewable energy certificates (RECs) that Dr. Bronner’s purchases from Midwestern pollinator-friendly solar projects through our partnership with Organic Valley and OneEnergy, We are proud to be 100% Renewably Powered!
***Scope 3 emissions are from our activities related to sources outside of our direct control (e.g., supply chain emissions, shipping, travel).
† Total based on market-based approach
2021 B Impact assessment
178
Dr. Bronner’s B Impact Score
As a benefit corporation, we are committed to measuring our social and environmental performance according to an independent third-party standard. We’ve selected the B Impact Assessment standard developed by the nonprofit B Lab for its rigor and integrity. The assessment results demonstrate that we are exceeding our benefit corporation goals by rigorous measures. Additionally, B Lab's Best for the World™ recognizes the B Corps globally whose B Impact Assessment scores rank in the top five percent of their company size track across one or more of the five impact areas evaluated on the Assessment—community, customers, environment, governance, and workers. In 2021, we were honored as both “Best for the World: Community” and “Best for the World: Environment”.
Environment
Dr. Bronner’s Score: 65
Median Score*: 12
Workers
Dr. Bronner’s Score: 29
Median Score*: 24
Customers
Dr. Bronner’s Score: 0
Median Score*: 8
Community
Dr. Bronner’s Score: 69
Median Score*: 27
Governance
Dr. Bronner’s Score: 15
Median Score*: 13
*The median B Impact Assessment score for businesses in 2021
all-one
all around
all-one initiative
2021 International giving
Localized mission-aligned brand activism is a priority for Dr. Bronner’s and our distributors in the countries we sell our products in outside of the United States. We dedicate at least 1% of sales to international markets to this program annually across three categories: Social Justice, Environment, and Animal Advocacy.
-
Funds from US budget and Dr. Bronner’s Germany are not included in the individual country totals or overall total.
Medical Volunteers International**
(Social Justice)Nepada Wildlife**
(Animal Advocacy/Environment)Sauti Kuu Foundation**
(Social Justice)Sea Shepherd Global*
(Animal Advocacy/Environment)*Funded through US Animal Advocacy budget
**Funded through Dr. Bronner’s Germany -
Eat Up
(Social Justice)Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network
(Environment)Voiceless
(Animal Advocacy) -
Animal Justice*
(Animal Advocacy)Black Lives Matter Canada
(Social Justice)Groundswell Community Justice Trust Fund
(Social Justice)Indigenous Climate Action
(Environment)Regeneration Canada
(Environment)Rivershed Society of BC
(Environment) -
Assietes Vegetales
(Animal Advocacy)La Vie Active
(Social Justice) -
People, People, People
(Social Justice)PROVIEH
(Animal Advocacy)Together for Future
(Environment)Transformation Haus & Feld
(Environment) -
Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary
(Animal Advocacy)VOICE Ireland
(Environment) -
Berbagi Sarapan
(Social Justice) -
Freedom Farm Sanctuary
(Animal Advocacy)The Arava Institute
(Environment) -
Homedoor
(Social Justice)National Organic Agriculture
Promotion Council
(Environment)Shizen
(Environment)
-
G Foundation
(Social Justice)Korean Animal Rights Advocates
(Animal Advocacy)Korean Animal Welfare Association
(Animal Advocacy)Korean Federation for
Environmental Movement
(Environment) -
Animal Equality (Mexico)*
(Animal Advocacy)Hurakaan
(Environment)Reinserta
(Social Justice)Sbelal Kuxlejalil
(Social Justice) -
Costa Recicla
(Environment)Prospera
(Social Justice) -
Centre for a Responsible Future
(Animal Advocacy)Kampung Senang
(Environment)Oogachaga
(Social Justice) -
Djurens Rätt
(Animal Advocacy)Plogga
(Environment) -
Hof Narr
(Animal Advocacy) -
Taiwan Environmental Information Association
(Environment)Taiwan Animal Equality Association
(Animal Advocacy) -
S.P.E.A.K
(Social Justice) -
Ecohustler
(Environment)Emmaus Brighton & Hove
(Social Justice)Less Plastic UK
(Environment)Surge
(Animal Advocacy)
In all we do, let us be generous, fair & loving to Spaceship Earth and all its inhabitants. For we're All-One or None!
2015 REPORT 2016 REPORT 2017 REPORT 2018 REPORT 2019 REPORT 2020 REPORT 2021 REPORT