Goodnight, Mr Tom
Warning: this is a long and wordy one.
Natural's not in it
Let me tell you about Tom's Of Maine. I have been using Tom's lovely products for about eight years, in particular the excellent stick deodorant (pictured). This is a small company, based in, well, take a guess, who make natural, chemical-, preservative-, colour- and alcohol-free cosmetic products that are not tested on animals. Since ridding our house of chemical-based cleaners and cosmetics, we have come to rely on companies like this, such as Green People, Kingfisher, Ecover etc. It's good to support smaller companies anyway, even American ones, if they are ethical and care about the environment and human health and are prepared to stick by their principles.
I read in an excellent article in the financial pages of the Guardian about how companies like these are increasingly being bought out by larger, less-than-ethical corporations, and how it is affecting sales and ethical standing of the smaller companies. Green & Black's have been unapologetically swallowed up by Cadbury's. The Body Shop are now owned by L'Oreal. Ben & Jerry sold their arses to Unilever six years ago, making a mockery of the beardy stance that made them famous. And - you're ahead of me, here - as of last monght, Tom's Of Maine are 84 per cent owned by Colgate-Palmolive, who, on their own website, boast of being one of the biggest companies in the world.
This is how nice Tom and Kate, who set up Tom's 36 years ago for all the right reasons, announced the death of their company on their website:
Dear friends,
Over the years we've met many of you and been struck by our strong connection with you, and how much we have in common. We share many interests and values, like protecting the environment and giving back to the community, yet there is much diversity, too - lots of different types of people, just as we have many different types of friends in our everyday lives. Since our first letter to you on a package 36 years ago, we have shared a spirited and continuous dialogue. We want to thank you for your loyalty to Tom's of Maine, for your encouragement of us, and for your honesty in giving feedback about the products we make. We thank you also for helping us grow and succeed. More and more people are looking for safe and effective natural products from plants and minerals from a company that shares their values.
After much soul-searching, and many conversations with our children and trusted advisors, we realized that we cannot meet this growing demand alone. We decided to seek a partner to help us. It's been a quest that we entered with trepidation and excitement because we wanted to find a company that would honor our values, and we were unwavering in our commitment to stay intact in Maine as Tom's of Maine. We are happy to report to you that we did find a partner who has a deep understanding and respect for what we've done and wants to build on that with us.
Here is our good news: we have chosen to become part of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. We will keep a minority ownership in Tom's of Maine, and are looking forward to continuing as CEO and Vice President to ensure long-term sustainability. The agreement we have worked out succeeds in preserving the character, spirit, and values of our company as we grow.
What does this new partnership mean for you? You will continue to be able to rely on our tried and true Natural Care products based on our model of stewardship and sustainability. We will continue to make products without artificial preservatives, sweeteners, or dyes and without animal testing or animal ingredients. It will probably become easier for you to find more of our products in a variety of stores. You will still write or call us here in Kennebunk, Maine and we will still be called Tom's of Maine. We will continue our Common Good Partnerships, and to give 10% of what we earn to community efforts, and to support 5% of employee time for volunteering.
The things we have worked hard to create at Tom's of Maine will continue to be what makes our company tick. We can't be here forever to do this, so we look forward to passing on what we know. We will keep thinking about how to provide for you, to look for new ways to improve. Thanks again for your loyalty and support. As always, please let us know what you think.
This is what I think. I sent them an email:
This is a sad day indeed. I have just learned that you have sold out to Colgate-Palmolive and I'm afraid that after years of enjoying your products, I will no longer be buying them. I guess it happens to all the ethical companies in the end, but I had clung to the wishful notion that Tom's Of Maine would be somehow different. I was wrong.
I am sorry to withdraw my custom, as your deodorant in particular has been a fixture in my bathroom since I first banished chemicals from the house about eight years ago and embarked upon a truly ethical lifestyle. I will have to look elsewhere for a replacement. Ah well. Thanks for those eight years.
I was quite pleased with the "ah well." And this, promptly, is what somebody from Consumer Dialogue & Services wrote back.
Thank you for your e-mail. I can certainly understand your concern about our partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, and I'm glad you've provided us the chance to respond to your concern. Here are the facts. Colgate-Palmolive will own 84% of our company; but Tom's of Maine will remain an independent, stand-alone subsidiary based here in Maine. This means that we will still be doing business the same way we have for the last 36 years. Tom and Kate will continue to lead our company. Tom's of Maine products, formulations and ingredients will remain the same as they have always been. We will continue to make products that are natural, free of artificial preservatives, sweeteners and dyes. And we will continue to make safe, effective products without the use of animal ingredients and without the use of animal testing. Further, we will remain in Kennebunk, Maine, and our employees will remain in their jobs here in Maine.
So while we understand your concern, we are actually excited and confident in this agreement with Colgate-Palmolive. We see a growing number of consumers like you changing the rules of the economy and making natural mainstream. We hope you'll stay interested and in touch. Over time, we think you'll find that nothing you like about Tom's of Maine or our products has changed. As always we remain interested in hearing from you.
And this is what I wrote back:
Thank you so much for the full and prompt reply. I appreciate that Tom's of Maine products will remain as natural and ethical as they have always been, and expected as much. My problem is not about the quality of the products, it is with the fact that the company will be 84% owned by Colgate-Palmolive, which prides itself on being "a truly global company serving hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide", with "global brands sold in over 200 countries". This is exactly the kind of monolithic corporation that is despoiling the environment, filling the world with unnecessary chemicals and squeezing small businesses out of the market. Your association with them is clearly financially advantageous to your company, and I don't blame you for doing the deal. My point is that I will no longer feel inclined to support your business, as, despite your own commitment to avoiding animal-tested ingredients, Colgate-Palmolive make no such claims, and are the Ethical Consumer boycott list for this very reason. Will you still make the no-animal-testing claim on the side of the packaging? Or will you admit that your profits go to a company that test on animals as a matter of course?
If I buy a stick of Tom's deodorant, I am giving money to Colgate-Palmolive, whose products I otherwise studiously avoid. My efforts to, as you put it, "change the rules of the economy" do not include buying products whose profits go to Colgate-Palmolive. Change comes through independence (and I mean true independence), not submission.
You sound very upbeat about the partnership. I wish I could share that optimism. The fact remains, a once-proud local company is now 84% swallowed up by a huge global concern. What really irks me is the fact that, at the next Colgate-Palmolive stock holders meeting, the purchase of Tom's will be held up as advantageous in terms of improving the parent company's ethical image. It strikes me that, at the end of the day, your good work is being used to make an unethical conglomerate look better. I would be interested to hear you defend the merger on this count. Thanks again for writing back
You probably think I'm weird, I can sense it, but I can't help it. The Woodspice deodorant was a particular favourite. And the Calendula one. But the remaining two sticks in my house will be my last. It's hard to be principled, but you've got to have a go. Now, let's go and watch the World Cup ...
posted by Andrew Collins @ 11:40 PM
25 Comments
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25 Comments:
Oh dear. It's understandable, I don't think you're weird for your reaction. It's just a shame that it gets harder and harder. I try to live ethically but don't get nearly as far as you, Andrew- perhaps the fact I earn £200 a week may go some way towards explaining that. But I buy Ecover, use Eco-Balls for my laundry, buy fairtrade, avoid supermarkets, shop locally and buy from local producers and coincidentally only use public transport (as I can't afford a car anyway). My dream is to sell fair trade baked goods. Anyone want to finance me on that?
I hadn't thought of looking at things like you do Andrew. I was originally disgusted that The Body Shop had been bought out by L'Oreal, but a friend of mine who manages one of their branches in Ilford told me that the deal was really good for them, that they would maintain control over their ethics etc but be able to be marketed more effectively. When he said that I felt like a bit of a leftie hippy for having these views, but now that you have mentioned the greater damage that these big companies do, and that they are practically exploiting these 'trendy' little companies for their own gains, I am happily outraged again about this sort of thing. I will bully my friend about it the next time I see him. He's been brainwashed by L'Oreal (no pun intended!)
I think that you have to do what is right for you. I had a long discussion with an employee at the Body Shop on Wednesday about the L'Oreal takeover and the implications. She did defend the company, but admitted that she had concerns personally about what it would mean.
I have bought lots of my everyday items at Body Shop since the late 1980s, when they made animal testing an issue for everyone else and was very upset to hear about their sell out. At the end of the day though, I decided, selfishly, that I would still buy things there, because I like the products and because of a sense of old loyalty to their previous incarnation and past achievements.
I salute your hard line stance though, you are a better man than I, especially as I'm a girl!
I promise you I didn't post this one to show off about my ethical principles, as they are far from perfect. I drive a car that takes petrol for a start, and there isn't an ethical garage that I know of! I actually stopped my subscription to Ethical Consumer magazine and it made me dizzy! I only put this correspondence in because it illustrates perfectly the difference between my problems with non-ethical takeovers and the willingness to roll over by smaller companies, for purely financial reasons. Green & Blacks' profits rose from four million a year to forty million, and yet they still felt the need to expand, and to do so, needed to link up with Cadbury's, surely the arch-enemy of an organic, fair-trade-minded chocolate manufacturer. I say, do what you can, when you can. Even a small, futile gesture is worth doing, like choosing another coffee shop over Starbucks just because they're too big, and got big by squeezing other chains off the high street.
If you want to be especially provocative (and I'm sure you don't, and I'd like to pretend that I don't either), you could point out that the reason people object to the behaviour of the Swiss banks during the 1930s and 1940s is not because anyone thinks they were operating their own concentration camps.
(I believe on the internet this is known as The Godwin Technique.)
I'm naive, I know but what's the matter with Cadbury? I thought they had a v good history and had continued to build on it.
I have to applaude you and the stance you have taken, my own personal figures of hate are the not so good people at Nestle. Their tentacles stretch everywhere, from dog food, to sugar free jelly, and of course they, through their links with L'Oreal, now make it impossible for me to go into a Body Shop. There is also the bitter taste left in the mouth when yet another "ethical" company feel compelled to sell out.
I think your reaction is wholly justified, I hope it encourages others to take a stand.
I do still miss Smarties though.
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This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
My objection to Cadbury's is the fact that it is, in fact, Cadbury-Schweppes, a huge, multinational food group. So the fact remains, this is a small, ethical company being eaten by a monolithic, shareholder-led, global corporation. Green & Black's falls from 3rd to 12th in chocolate ethical league table. According to Ethical Consumer, at midnight on Monday 16th May, organic chocolate maker Green & Black's' ethical rating fell from 16 out of 20 to 6 following its takeover by Cadbury's. The takeover disappointed some fair trade campaigners, as Cadbury's has consistently rejected arguments put forward by lobby groups on behalf of cocoa farmers. Last May, Cadbury's wrote to campaigners reiterating its opposition to the principle of fixing the prices it pays to cocoa farmers. (Only one of Green & Black's' lines is fair trade anyway, but that's one more in the Cadbury's portfolio following the buyout.)
This kind of thing seems to be happening a lot recently. I'm particularly bothered about Tesco and Nescafe having Fair Trade coffees. Does this mean that they happily admit that the rest of their brands are UN-fairly traded?
I know what you mean about fair trade. It's become such a buzz phrase, and consumers kind of want it, but dont' really know what it is, other than it sort of makes them feel better, but you're right, Prudence - if you make one fair trade coffee, what are your other coffees made from? That's why totally fair trade companies are the ones to go for. That's ethical. Otherwise, it's just window dressing, surely? (Green & Black's are all organic, which is good for sustainable farming generally, and good for our health, but only one bar is fair trade, which, as you point out, means that all other Green & Black's must, by definition, be unfair trade. It's a minefield. No wonder most people just don't think about it. It's a lot easier.)
You set an inspiring example Andrew. Its surprising how quickly ethical/environmentally friendly practices in the home once adopted become habitual.
Aye, I used to think I was on fairly safe ground being vegetarian, with less energy being wasted through the food chain, and avoiding the whole factory farming thing, but then I heard about the problems caused by the mass production of soya. Is it a lose-lose situation? Now I just try to put it to the back of my mind...
I asked someone last night if they could explain global warming. They couldn't. Neither could I.
I asked (provocatively) if the polar ice caps weren't supposed to be melting like that anyway ? Nobody knew for sure.
It's bloody hard to do the right thing. full time multi-national mega-corporation job, 3 kids, public transport system that doesn't link the places people live with the places they work, people who still ask me don't I miss meat & would I not like a nice big steak ?
Fuckit it's hard
I mentioned 'turnover' loaf in my blog recently. I couldn't find an online image of this once hugely popular bread and when in my local Tesco yesterday the baker looked blankly at me when I asked. She was only 17. I image that in between lashing the part-baked white rolls into the oven and getting sneaky bites of donuts she didn't have time for the ramblings of an old man.
Isn't a key part of buying from local suppliers that you buy from ones that are local to you? Surely the environmental neutrality of Tom's Of Maine's products is somewhat compromised when they've been (presumably) flown halfway around the world? That said, I admire your commitment. And it is a shame that Tom's feel that they are obliged to meet growing demand.
Good point about Tom's of Maine (the clue's in the name!) not being strictly local, but as I think we all agree, doing the right thing is a tricky business. Anyway, I shall no longer be giving them the benefit of my financial support, so that's that hypocrisy sorted.
It's all about choice. If the choice is there between a chemical-based deodorant made by a bloated multinational chemical company and a stick of Tom's, until recently, the best choice was Tom's. Now it really doesn't matter which. Green People deodorant it is, then. (They're small and British.)
I wonder if Green People Fake Tan would be a big seller.
I've started ordering Urtekram products from xynergy.com (in Midhurst). I know they're Danish so a bit more local than Maine. Also they don't use parabens and other nasties. I think you can get some of the stuff in Olimia in Reigate (but my guess is that if you haven't got a baby, you probably wouldn't have gone in there!).
(in response to previous thing about haircutting in Reigate - all the blokes I know seem to go to Yousseffs now!!!)
If you are still deodorant-less, may I suggest Lush and their solid ones? No packaging either, and they seem to have stuck to their ethical guns.
I also sent a similar e-mail to tom's but I guess the volume of negative response they recieved prevented them from responding.
I also have discontinued use of all of their products.
I just want to mark the day when another ethical business died.
Howies, RIP.
Joe, what's Howies?
Hey,
I absolutely adore and respect you 100% for that email to Tom's of Maine. They deserve to hear it. I wrote them an email as soon as I heard the news about Colgate. I too now have problems finding products that are not animal tested or contain animal problems since Im a strict Vegan. I am so upset and also sad because these corporate a**holes are killing off everything that is good. I also will never buy another Tom's of Maine product simply because my money will go to Colgate supporting their cruel, unnecessary, unreliable animal tests. I do not want to help them buy more animals to torture!!!
I am switching to Pathmark brand items which are not tested on animals.
I am so sad my heart dropped when I read the news. But why should Tom and Kate care, they just got themselves 100 million dollars.
Howies are/were a great little clothing company based in Cardigan, West Wales. Just gone into a deal with Timberland according to their website. Although they do say that Timberland have got some good green credentials, I can't quite see the link between Howies ethics and the Pink roll top timberland boots sold in JD Sports etc. for hanging around on street corners in.
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