Originally published at https://www.cityofvista.com on August 26, 2019.
Dr. Bronner’s — whose products include all natural soaps, lip balms, toothpaste, body care, shampoo, hand sanitizer, cleaners, organic coconut oil and more — takes its environmental stewardship seriously. On a global scale, farmers at several of the family-owned company’s agricultural supply projects have planted more than 250,000 oil and coconut palms, produced more than 10,000 MT of new thermophilic compost, utilized new cover crops, and shifted to conservation tillage and initial plantings of dynamic agroforestry fields.
Dr. Bronner’s uses sustainable and eco-friendly practices, such as regenerative organic agriculture
The company — originally founded by Emanuel Bronner, a third-generation master soap maker who emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1929 — also exclusively uses 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene (PET) plastic bottles for all of its liquid and pump soaps.
By turning used plastic bottles into new plastic bottles and products, Dr. Bronner’s helps conserve virgin resources, reduce landfill, and capitalize on the energy already invested in making existing plastic products. The company’s shipping boxes are 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) corrugate too.
Locally, Dr. Bronner’s has created several sustainable business practices to reduce waste generation, water use and energy consumption at its 125,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Vista. This includes installing solar panels in the employee parking lot, which allows the company to generate a significant portion of the electricity it uses.
To reduce its water use, Dr. Bronner’s has developed a system that lets its liquid soap filling machine operators know when to wash out the filling machines, reducing rinse water use by 85%. Meanwhile, the company has partnered with water-filtration innovators and are piloting methods to clean its gray water. Dr. Bronner’ has also replaced grass and tropical species landscaping on its Vista site with drought-tolerant native species that are adapted to the San Diego climate.
“We have committed to reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill to just one dumpster a month, and we are well on the way to reaching that goal,” said David Bronner, the company’s Cosmic Engagement Officer. “Waste-sorting stations throughout our plant help us divert waste that can be recycled or composted.”
Dr. Bronner’s also continues to keep close tabs on innovations taking place in research for bioplastics — the use of renewable resources like plants and bacteria to create plastic that would otherwise be produced from petroleum.
Dr. Bronner’s has been part of the Vista community since it relocated in 2013 from neighboring Escondido where it had resided for 50 years.
“We moved because we needed the space,” said Chief Operations Officer Michael Milam. “The Vista Business Park, developed in the 1990s, had plenty of properties that could fit us. We ended up purchasing a building beside a space that we have leased for almost 11 years. We found this building at the tail end of the last downturn and made it our new home. The ideological part of the decision was not wanting to uproot our employee families by moving too far away. The rest of the decision was simply good business.”
Since Dr. Bronner’s moved to Vista, the company’s revenues have nearly doubled — thanks in part to the introduction of new successful products and fragrances. Dr. Bronner’s, which logged $122.5 million in 2018 revenue, expects healthy growth in 2019, Milam said. The company’s continued success has allowed Dr. Bronner’s to increase its commitment to the community. The company donated approximately $8 million to charitable causes in 2018. Locally, Dr. Bronner’s recently renewed its sponsorship partnership for 2019 in support of the cultural arts programming at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. In addition to Dr. Bronner’s $100,000 title sponsorship of the Moonlight Presents series at the city-owned amphitheatre, the company will also sponsor Moonlight’s summer season of musicals.
According to Vista Mayor Judy Ritter, “This investment in our cultural arts programming creates a lasting impact on our city and enhances the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”
The City of Vista proclaimed Feb. 14, 2018 Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps Day.”
For Dr. Bronner’s, community engagement is key. “While Dr. Bronner’s has a very extensive Fair Trade supply chain and tends to focus on its global citizenship, we also want to use our resources to improve our home,” Milam said. “In the case of the Moonlight, this is a public forum that seeks to draw a wide and diverse audience, which is a physical representation of our ‘All-One’ philosophy.”
The natural products company also gives back to a variety of local organizations and programs, including the Boys to Men Mentoring Network (BTM), a San Diego Diego-based nonprofit that provides mentoring programs to at-risk fatherless teenage boys at high schools and junior high schools throughout the county including several in Vista. Not only is Dr. Bronner’s the title sponsor of the organization’s annual 100 Wave Challenge fundraiser, but the company’s employees have also played an active role in mentoring at-risk teenage boys in Vista schools.
“Many of the Vista schools don’t have the budget to offer Boys to Men Mentoring to their at-risk boys. Dr. Bronner’s support has allowed us to come to more Vista schools, eventually to all of the middle and high schools,” said Attila Tota, BTM’s North County Program Manager. “Besides the financial support, Dr. Bronner’s has sent members of their own staff to sit in circles at Vista schools. For example, Ben Schrick, a financial analyst at Dr. Bronner’s, has been a great contributor at the meetings, sharing his stories, challenges, and the decisions he made that got him to where he is today, working for a great company like Dr. Bronner’s. They really are making a big impact on their surrounding communities.”
Milan believes that one of Dr. Bronner’s biggest local impacts is being a decent-sized employer (about 220 employees) that pays well and provides excellent health benefits. “Stability, health, consistency — this is our hidden local influence,” he said.
He added that being located in a business-friendly city like Vista helps Dr. Bronner’s fuel its overall mission and bottom line.
“While a municipality must uphold its codes and processes, it is often difficult for an outsider simply to know what to do or whom to speak in order to move forward. I liken Vista’s Director of Economic Development (Kevin Ham) to a public defender,” Milan said. “The people in his office know the local businesses and are there to help them navigate the city’s requirements. After we relocated and were settled in, Kevin called me every couple of months to check on how we were doing regarding any issues with which he could help. I still see him at functions. He knows our business and is always available to help.”
