Vermont company makes a big difference

By Amber Fagan

With many household products on the market prone to waste and harmful chemicals, one company uses sustainability to keep the environment clean for years to come.

Seventh Generation, a non-toxic, hypoallergenic cleaning, paper and personal care company based in Burlington, Vt. uses an old Iroquois law, which aims to consider the impact on the seventh generation, as its inspiration.

“Seven generations sustainability is an ecological concept that admonishes the current generation of humans to be working for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future,”wrote Jeffery Hollender in Profits with Purpose: Seventh Generation.

According to the company’s website, Seventh Generation aims to become the world’s most trusted, safe and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.

Though many companies produce massive amounts of waste, dump chemicals into waterways and try to cover-up environmentally destructive behavior, Seventh Generation aims to give back to the community and environment through an intensive corporate responsibility program.

Seventh Generation also looks like a pretty cool place to work. By promoting personal, professional and spiritual growth, it seeks to have employees who are dedicated and passionate-not burnt-out with the drudgery of daily working life.

The company also produces the 7Gen News, a newsletter which provides readers with coupons and special offers, a personal profile of an individual making a positive impact on the environment, product reviews.

Their question and answer segment, Scienceman, run by Martin Wolf, the Director of Product and Environmental Technology at Seventh Generation provides readers with knowledge on topics from bubbles to dioxins. This guy has a bunch of science-type degrees in chemistry, so he knows his stuff.

Seventh Generation also has a blog called, The Inspired Protagonist, that features reports on various environmental issues that are relevant to the company and consumers alike.

Finally, to the good part: the guilt-free shopping! And as a woman, it is nice to see feminine hygiene products that are organic, chlorine free, AND packages in recycled material. Their line of cleaning products is great for people who do not want a bunch of nasty chemicals smelling up their homes. Plus, these products are safe to use around small children and pets.

This is a company that gets what the Iroquois have known all along. We are responsible for the wellbeing of future generations to come.

Seventh Generation is hiring. Check the website for details.