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By Antonio Pasolini — Natural soap and body care company, Dr. Bronner’s, had a lot to celebrate on World Vegan Day (1st November). Besides making organic, cruelty-free products, the company is a massive supporter of animal advocacy groups, besides other causes.
By the end of 2017, Dr. Bronner’s will have donated over $600,000 to animal charities. The beneficiaries include organizations that expose the suffering of animals in factory farms, protect sea animals, and educate the public.
One partner organisation is the famous frontline activist group Sea Shepherd, whose German chapter received support from the company to purchase its first vessel, the MV Emanuel Bronner. The vessel will be used to protect wildlife in the Baltic Sea.
Elsewhere, Compassion in World Farming received a donation of $100,000 to be split between its UK and USA operations this year. Dr. Bronner’s also continued to support Farm Forward, an organisation that supports advocacy around Jonathan Safran Foer’s best-selling book, Eating Animals, now a documentary with Oscar winner Natalie Portman and directed by Christopher Quinn.
With this new round of donations, the company arrives at its fourth year of commitment to supporting animal advocacy and other causes such as fair trade, regenerative organic agriculture, drug policy reform, and wage equality.
“When I chose to adopt a vegan diet over 20 years ago, I concluded that though I have a capacity to forget, shut down and not care about my consumption choices, I want to live in compassionate alignment with the vision that what we choose to eat matters,” says David Bronner, CEO.
Vegan certification
Dr. Bronner’s has also completed vegan certification for a range of eligible products with Vegan Action. It is also registered with the UK’s Vegan Society. One included product is the company’s signature 18-in-1 Liquid Pure-Castile Soap. Besides being 100 percent vegan and free of synthetic agents and artificial fragrances, the package is biodegradable and made from post-consumer recycled plastic.
While formulas of soaps, lotions, shave gels, hair rinse, and hair crèmes have always been vegan, the vegan certification introduced in 2014 makes it easier for ethical consumers looking for cruelty-free options to buy without having to read labels exhaustively.
Besides the financial donations, the company has also donated soaps and other of its products to festivals, educational events, fundraisers, animal sanctuaries and direct action campaigns in the UK and across the globe.
Image credit: Dr. Bronner’s
