• The New York Times, Monday, January 7, 2008 11:45 AM

Clorox, which closed a deal for Burt's Bees in November, plans to turn it into a mainstream American brand sold in big-box stores like Wal-Mart. Along the way, Clorox executives plan to learn from unusual business practices at Burt's Bees--many centered on environmental sustainability.

Burt's Bees maintains its founders' green philosophies. Employees' bonuses are based, in part, on how well the company meets energy conservation goals, and there are prime parking spaces for staff members who drive hybrid cars or carpool. It buys offsets for 100% of its carbon emissions and is working toward a goal of sending no trash to landfills by 2020.

Like most natural-products companies, Burt's Bees charges enough for its goods to pay for such causes. A 0.15-ounce tube of Burt's Bees basic lip balm, for example, costs $3. The same-size tube of ChapStick, which uses synthetic ingredients, costs $1.69.

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