Skip to main content

Feel Good Friday: Dr. Bronner’s Supports Marine Life Conservation, Fair Trade Practices, and Much More

Dr Bronners
Image used with permission by copyright holder
You probably know Dr. Bronner’s as the “18-in-one” soap brand with a whole lot of words on the label. If you took the time to read these words, you would pick up on at least two things: one, the rambling, almost insane writing; and two, the exuberant insistence that humanity is ALL-ONE!

This is a surprisingly sunny outlook considering that Emanuel Bronner’s parents were casualties of the Holocaust. What’s even more amazing is that Dr. Bronner’s actually follows through on their labels’ dreamy rhetoric. Indeed, Dr. Bronner’s is a humble, no-nonsense soap brand that’s dedicated to environmental and social responsibility.

08_coconut_kenya
Pictured: Well-paid coconut harvesters in Kenya Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dr. Bronner’s use organic, fair-trade ingredients, ensuring that both workers and the environment are treated fairly. They even go out of their way to purchase olive oil from both Palestinian and Israeli producers. Not only is Dr. Bronner’s helping ensure hospitable conditions for Palestinian workers, but the business arrangement itself is a symbol of peace and conciliation.

The soap brand has also partnered with a number of organizations that are driving positive change in the world. Most recently, they provided free soap for the crews of three Sea Shepherd vessels bound for the Faroe Islands. The non-profit marine life conservation organization is engaged in an ongoing campaign to expose inhumane and illegal whaling practices.

Related: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint, Not Your Swagger

Dr. Bronner’s makes a fine product, to boot. Their 18-in-one “Magic Soap,” is supposedly effective for everything from washing your hair to brushing your teeth to mopping the floor. The ingredients are all-natural, with no genetically manufactured organisms or animal testing involved. Their classic Pure-Castile liquid soaps now come in eight scents, including tea tree, almond, lavender, and citrus.

If you’re the kind of guy who doesn’t like to fuss around with dozens of different cleaning products, you’ll find that Dr. Bronner’s is a good way to go. While it may not be the best at anything, it’s pretty good at everything — especially when it comes to making a positive impact on the planet.

Topics
TJ Carter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree…
Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like
Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?
The Apple TV Plus Logo

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that's set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don't stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they're planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company's hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple's video ad sales team.

Read more
From Gilda Radner to Ali Wong, these are the best female comedians of all time
These women from all generations will make you laugh out loud
Ai Wong comedian 2017 Moontower comedy festival

Hot take: I don’t care for straight male comedians. It’s not that they’re not funny, they’re just … I don’t know, boring? Maybe that’s reductive of me, but I never seem to leave a straight male comedian’s set feeling particularly inspired. And though some may argue that it’s not important for a set to "inspire" its audience, I’d actually argue that the opposite is true. For me, I want to see a comedian use humor to address real issues and say real things about the world, even if they do it in a completely goofy way.

Therefore, I tend to prefer female and female-identified comedians. They’re sharp, tough, and have often seen shit that makes their comedy feel raw and true. Undoubtedly there are male comedians who do this, too, but to a much lesser degree, in my very humble and very personal opinion.

Read more
12 classic sci-fi books everyone should read
If you love science fiction and reading, these classic sci-fi novels are a must
Man reading a book and drinking coffee

It may feel like we were recently living in a science-fiction dystopia life -- and in some ways, we were -- but that doesn't mean that we should simply avoid an entire genre of writing. Hardly. In fact, this is probably the perfect time to explore classic sci-fi books, to see what the masters have written, and maybe even see if someone predicted anything like this. Many, though, simply ignore sci-fi wholly and completely because of an association with robots, aliens, and the like.

Long story short, if you think you don't like sci-fi, you have never read great books from the genre. But indeed, many such books abound, including a number that has delighted generations of readers going back well over 150 years. In fact, one of the best things about so many sci-fi books is their very timelessness. As by definition, this type of fiction breaks away from the norms of the everyday world -- whether slightly twisting things or taking place on entire other worlds -- the stories often feel as fresh and relevant today as when they were published decades ago.

Read more