Green Initiatives

Packaging Sustainability

We reduced the size of our lip care shelf-peg cartons and cards by 11%, which decreased our paperboard usage by approximately 26 tons annually.
We are in the process of optimizing the dimensions of our shelf packers and shippers, which will lower our paperboard usage by an additional 9 tons, and corrugated usage by an estimated 13 tons each year.
As a result of the two initiatives described above, we will consolidate over 1,300 pallets of product annually, thus reducing our freight trips and associated fuel consumption significantly.
We recently acquired the Odor-Eaters brand, and with it an insole production process that created a significant amount of foam material waste... within 4 months we found a partner who is incorporating that scrap into its own products, reducing the amount of material entering the waste stream by 75-80 tons a year.
The plastics we use for our lip balm sticks and jars include an average of 25% post-industrial content.
All of the corrugated materials purchased by Blistex contain a minimum of 30% recycled content.
All inks used on our cartons meet or exceed ASA standards for natural soy oil content, and none of the inks used on our cartons, cards, packers, and shippers are alcohol-based or contain VOC's.

We installed solar panels to pre-heat water for our production systems, with additional solar
projects planned.
We transitioned more than 50% of our lighting to energy-efficient fixtures and bulbs, and have plans to move the remainder to the next generation of lighting technology as soon as that technology is proven viable.
We installed automatic sensors to turn lights off when not in use throughout over 90% of our office and public spaces.
We have replaced over 75% of our disposable battery usage at our headquarters with rechargeables.
We moved all of our sales and general management employees with company cars to vehicles with hybrid engines.
We have used carpet, wallpaper and cubicle fabrics made from recycled materials for all new office and conference room construction or remodeling.
We created a process whereby unwanted business magazine subscriptions are consolidated and cancelled so publishers reduce needless paper waste... we estimate that the mailing of 10,000-15,000 issues per year has been stopped.
We installed high-end filters for our drinking water, and distributed stainless steel "bottles" to all our employees to virtually eliminate the purchase of plastic-bottled water.
For guests and company functions, we now use cups and plates that biodegrade rapidly.
We have converted to green-certified cleaning products for our offices, manufacturing plant, and warehouses wherever they passed testing for adequate performance.

To augment our long-standing practice of donating or responsibly disposing of electronic office equipment, we now conduct an "e-Sweep" every Earth Week so employees can bring in obsolete home electronic items for us to handle... over three tons of home electronics were collected in the past three years.
We extended our onsite recycling to accept items brought from home... over 5,400 batteries, 3,300 hangers and 500 pounds of plastic bags have been disposed of responsibly in the first two and a half years (not bad for a company of about 200 people).
We started a "Freecycle" program to re-channel objects employees no longer need to others who want them (rather than having them added to a landfill).
We installed an air filling station for car tires, which will not only reduce the amount of gasoline that employees burn, but will also save them money and make them safer on the roads.
We've given all employees reusable shopping bags for their trips to retailers.
We have incorporated a "green briefing" as part of orientation for all new employees.
We post and distribute information that includes a "Tip of the Month" on how individuals can make a difference at home (click here to see samples of these tips), a "Green Calendar" of related events throughout the community, information on carpooling options, and encouragement of behaviors like two-sided printing and paperless filing.