Celebrate Earth Day by Tom O'Brien

Posted on Apr 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day! Can you believe it's the 40th anniversary? At Tom's of Maine we look at this day as a chance to celebrate our environment and also a chance to thank all of you who make a difference - the people who care about our environment, health and the overall goodness of our communities. We're also celebrating our 40th year as a company and are driven by the passion of our founders, employees and consumers. Tom's of Maine, like Earth Day, was born in 1970 of a desire for better solutions that didn't compromise our earth, our health or our quality of life. When Tom and Kate Chappell made their first product - phosphate-free laundry soap – it reflected their core beliefs that good products can be made with natural ingredients, and we can do good things for people, communities and the planet. Forty years later those ideas are realities, but our commitment to goodness never ends.

Today our offices overlook the Mousam River in Kennebunk, Maine and everyday I'm reminded of the important impact clean water has on community health, business, recreation opportunities and overall quality of life. We've had a long commitment to River Network and American Rivers, two of the largest nonprofit rivers organizations in the United States. Tom's of Maine has, in partnership with nearly 650,000 volunteers across the country, participated in local river clean-ups as part of the American Rivers' National River Cleanup program. Together, we have removed approximately 4.8 million pounds of trash from our nation's waterways and 139,500 miles of our rivers and streams are cleaner because of the effort.

On this Earth Day, as well as tomorrow's earth day, and the one after that, we are inspired by all of you, and, like you, we are dedicated to continuing to doing all we can to reflect our shared values. What does goodness mean to you on Earth Day and everyday?

To celebrate Earth Day and our 40th birthday, we have one simple wish: help us get some goodness going on! Send us an email, join us on Facebook, stay in touch on the blog...we love hearing from you!

Watch the Tom's of Maine Philosophy Video