Elemental Herbs Our Commitment

Our Commitment

As a nature-based healing company, we at Elemental Herbs are forever grateful for the earth’s abundant resources. We see it as our duty to care for them in the same way we care for our own bodies. That’s why we are dedicated to using restorative and responsible business practices.

Our production facility runs on solar power. That’s right – we make All Good Goop in the Morro Bay Community Center’s kitchen, which gets its electricity from photovoltaic panels on the building’s rooftop.

Company headquarters are an organic farm and education center. Just up the road, inland from Morro Bay, Four Elements Farm is where our offices reside. The farm is a 55-acre parcel with orchards, gardens, composting toilets and a straw-bale greenhouse. We do residential Permaculture Design Courses once a year, and we host WWOOF’rs (willing workers on organic farms) and farm interns year round.

Our team is our family. We are a small company, and as we grow, we want our team to grow with us. We create a fun and healthy environment for employees, and we encourage them to care for themselves and their families first. We support them in their own nourishing pursuits.

We use certified organic ingredients in our products and seek the highest possible medicinal quality in all of our herbs. By purchasing organically grown herbs, oils and raw materials, we are ensured that our ingredients were not poisoned with harmful pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. All ingredients are sourced for their quality and sustainability and are always organic when available. Going a step beyond organic on our own farm and “herbal test garden,” we are committed to wild land farming that protects wildlife habitat, conserves water, attracts beneficial insects and birds, and builds healthy soil for the future.

Our products are cruelty-free, tested on consenting humans only. Millions of animals, including birds, dogs, fish, guinea pigs, mice, rabbits, rats, and even monkeys, are tortured and killed for the (often inconclusive) testing of consumer products. We’ve signed the campaign for cruelty free cosmetics and partner with membership affiliates to spread the word: PETA and Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (Leaping Bunny). Please support companies who don’t test on animals.

We actively oppose the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and find suppliers who are in compliance with this. GMOs wreak havoc on our agricultural and natural systems. By introducing genetically modified organisms into the environment, corporate seed producers have unleashed a self-replicating monster that cannot be recalled. We will always find sources of raw materials that do not contain GMOs.

We use recycled and recyclable packaging, shipping and printed materials. Yeah! We are excited for more companies to jump on this wagon because one day, it will be less expensive to purchase paper that does not destroy virgin forests, pollute rivers with chlorine, and end up in a landfill. In the meantime, we are committed to finding new materials all the time that actually have a positive impact on the earth throughout their lifecycle. We recognize that we have a long way to go here, and we will not ever stop looking for better packaging solutions.

Our company vehicles run on biodiesel. At our company headquarters and farm, we produce biodiesel made from restaurant waste vegetable oil. When we are on the road, we search for biodiesel pumps and co-ops. We think veggie fuel is an important interim step for transportation because it significantly reduces CO2 emissions, it contains almost no sulfur (major component of acid rain), it is a renewable resource, and we don’t need to bomb sovereign nations to obtain it.

We maintain relationships with suppliers and manufacturers who have high environmental standards and take care of their employees. The impact we have goes all the way down the line; from production to end use. The companies we work with are allies in producing eco-friendly, organic and fairly traded goods.

As a triple bottom line business, our commitment to social and environmental responsibility is audited through our partnership with B Corporation. We are also members of the sustainable business network, Green America.

We give one percent of all sales, before any expenses to important global causes through 1% for the Planet. Our current partners receiving Elemental Herbs’ revenue donations are Save Our Snow and United Plant Savers.

We sponsor Activist Athletes. Learn more about our human-powered sponsorship program.

We laugh a lot! We recognize the need for lighthearted humor in the midst of it all and we cherish absurdity in daily life. Sharing smiles and laughter is a great way to positively impact our environment and our health. It’s easy.

Thank you for your support and interest in our green business principles. We are constantly evaluating how to deepen these practices, and we appreciate your feedback.

Listen to an interview with Elemental Herbs Founder, Caroline Duell, on business philosophy.