The Baffling Burt's Bees Balm - A look into lip chap supply chains

About the Beeswax - Tanzania:

Burt’s Bees take extra precautions in all their beekeeping and honey-harvesting endeavors worldwide, since, of course, their main ingredient in their lip balms is beeswax. Tanzania serves as the brand's initial overseas source for honey (Decker, 2018), where half of the wax used in their lip balms (Burt’s Bees, 2020). When considering the working circumstances of beekeepers, there are not many health dangers associated with the extraction of beeswax and honey since it is a natural occurring and a straightforward procedure. Although, Beekeepers do risk suffering back injuries as well as getting stung. Unfortunately, as a low socioeconomic country, the beekeepers are paid inadequately and are living in poor conditions. Individuals heavily rely on the bee and honey trade in Tanzania, as more than two million people are employed in this industry (Mwakatobe and Mlingwa, 2006).

Traditional Tanzanian hives suspended in trees are swarmed by bees, which beekeepers then bring down to collect the honeycomb. Before taking down the hives, the beekeepers put on protective gear. For the extraction, the comb is heated to release the raw wax, and the honey is then harvested (Decker, 2018). Next, the beekeepers pour the wax in large molds and let them cool to be prepared for shipment (Decker, 2018).

It is unclear how the company acquires the other ingredients for their lip balms. These ingredients include sunflower seed oil, rosemary leaf extract, peppermint oil and coconut oil (Burt’s Bees, 2018).

Burt’s Bees Factory -

About the company: Founded by Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby in the early 1980s, Burt’s Bees is an American company that makes personal care and cosmetics while using all-natural ingredients and being an environmentally friendly company. The company headquarters is now located in Durham, North Carolina, USA, where the production, packaging and distribution takes place (Burt’s Bees, 2018). Burt’s Bees is now purchased by Clorox Company, which promises to maintain their culture and values of being environmentally friendly. In fact, they have been sending zero waste to landfill from the manufacturing facility and office. (Burt’s Bees, 2020). The Factory employs about 450 people and pay might vary greatly based on a person's position within the organization. This implies that the employees' living situations vary. Although, the average employee makes around $44,000 which allows employees to purchase necessities (Zippia, 2022). The working conditions in this factory are safe, and the machines are handled by people with experience.

Production: All ingredients are sent to this location where the wax is filtered through a purifier to reach the perfect melting consistency. (Decker, 2018) The ingredients including the sunflower seed oil, rosemary leaf extract, peppermint oil and coconut oil and the wax are then added to a mixing bowl for several hours. The lip balm formula melts down throughout the mixing into a liquid state. This liquid is then put into tubes and passed through heating and cooling chambers. (Decker, 2018)

Packaging: Using machines, the tubes are labeled and hot stamped with their logos. They use high-integrity materials where most of it can be recyclable. These materials include aluminum, steel, paper, glass and plastics. Burt’s Bees put an average of 52% post-consumer recycled content into their plastics. Furthermore, they limit over-packaging. (Burt’s Bees, 2020)

What are the impacts of manufacturing Burt's Bees? Factories negatively impact the environment by polluting the air, as they are the primary offenders when it comes to greenhouse gas contributions. (Harveston, 2017)

Distribution: After being packaged, the products are then distributed internationally using different types of transportation.

Consumption: Burt’s Bees lip balms can be found all over the world. After being manufactured in the United States, the product is distributed around the US, Canada, around Europe (United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden), Australia and a few countries in East Asia. This product can also be found online, as well as Rexall, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart and different grocery stores in North America. The founders of Burt’s Bees explain that their products are aimed primarily at educated women in the 18 to 25 year of age demographic.

Disposability: This product is recyclable, and individuals can recycle through TerraCycle or Curbside. (Burt’s Bees, 2020).

Social issues that have risen from the use of Burt’s Bees balm - There have been reports of consumers getting allergic reactions due to the ingredients used in Burt’s Bees lip balm. All the patients developed different skin conditions, such as edematous and erythematous around their lips and perioral skin. One of the patients’ reactions was much worse where the blistering went to their cheeks, ears, neck and chin. The patient’s outbreaks turned into scale like healing with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (Tran & Pratt & DeKoven, 2010).

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