Showing dedication for its employees and the environment, Mountain Rose Herbs has earned the 2010 Oregon Ethics in Business award. The award is given out annually to businesses that demonstrate ethical business practices not only in the workplace, but in the marketplace, environment and community.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to win the Oregon Ethics in Business Award because it represents the culmination of hard work and dedication from the entire team at Mountain Rose Herbs, and it proves that a business model which places an emphasis on people and the planet, rather than profit, actually works,” Shawn Donnille, vice president of Mountain Rose Herbs, says in a press release.
Mountain Rose Herbs offers employees two paid full days a year to volunteer at local nonprofit organizations. It also gives more than $75,000 annually to 14 different environmental organizations, offering promotions, sponsorships and volunteers.
Mountain Rose Herbs also operates a zero-waste facility, recycling, reusing and composting all of its excess materials. It runs on 100 percent renewable energy sources and prohibits the use of conventional commercial cleaning agents and harmful chemicals to clean its facility. Going a step further, Mountain Rose Herbs also offers employees a small bonus for carpooling to work.
Founded in 1987 in Eugene, Oregon, Mountain Rose Herbs specializes in organic herbs, spices and teas. Its goal is to give more to the environment than it takes, ensuring the fair treatment of the products and those who work to produce them. To protect harvesters and growers, Mountain Rose Herbs established the Good Trade Program: Growers get full negations over their products–including dictating the prices.
Do you know a business that is dedicated to ethical practices? Nominate it for the Oregon Ethics in Business Award.