Mountain Rose Herbs has always taken a formidable and uncompromising stand when it comes to the protection and sustainability of our natural world and the delicate systems which balance all life as we know it. This complex and venerable planet produces all of the products we share with you, and it is simply a matter of appreciation and respect that must be given. Not only do we lead the industry in environmental stewardship, we also adhere to strict principles and protocols that ensure fair treatment and compensation for the people involved with the production of our products; both domestically and overseas. These are the very same people that produce much of what we offer you and our wish is to further guarantee that they are compensated well for their services and treated with respect. Through common consensus we hope to encourage an ecological practice within businesses and our communities, where more is given than is taken. This follows the simple, yet powerful dictum...

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives"

All of us at Mountain Rose Herbs work assiduously in monitoring the environment, business practices and labor conditions from where many of our products originate from and we support organizations that help us in this endeavor. By clicking the tab above, you will find several organizations that we are directly and passionately involved with which we would like to share with you. Mountain Rose Herbs has contributed its time, money, products, resources, and information to all of them and we urge you to do the same. We promise you will feel good all over and the memories to be had in contributing your efforts to such a cause will forge a mirthful and merry smile for many years to come.

Organics
Mountain Rose Herbs incorporates its passion for organics into every fiber and thread of its operational foundation.
Currently we offer one of the most thorough selections of certified organic herbs, spices and botanicals today, and contrary to other companies who will supply both an organic and conventional variety, organics remain our first and only choice regardless of price or profit! We will never stock a non-organic item if an organic one is available, nor will we offer our customers material which has been conventionally grown using synthetic substances. In the event that certified organic material is not available, we opt for material which was cultivated without chemicals or harvested in the wild, thus liberating ourselves from commercial farming dependencies, and all of these materials have been meticulously analyzed in the lab for both chemical and pesticide residues.

Our Sources
One deciding factor in the products you see throughout our catalog is respect for workers, and reverence for the environment, and this applies to farms domestically and overseas. Mountain Rose Herbs will only negotiate with farmers who are certified organic through a USDA accredited certification agency, and they must have clear and transparent working conditions in place.
Our primary source of herbal material is from certified organic American farms and many of these farms are on contract with us as an exclusive grower for our needs. When material is not available here in the U.S. we will negotiate with organic farmers in foreign nations who we have developed lasting, trusting relationships with.
We have a strict policy that guarantees workers a fair market value for the goods they produce and each vendor we choose to do business with must sign a thorough affidavit which guarantees fair wages for all of the people involved with the production of the materials we buy, along with a guarantee that safe and clean working conditions are in place.
We have gone above and beyond Fair Trade with the creation of our own program called "Good Trade" which we feel more fully protects the growers and harvesters financial interests. While Fair Trade programs are beneficial and important, they only allocate a certain percentage of the transaction to those involved with the production of goods, and this is done without direct negotiating rights being exercised by the growers, and the premiums added to the products they offer are strictly determined by the markets. What we have developed in our Good Trade Program is a business model where the growers get full negotiation rights for the products they grow, and they in turn dictate what prices Mountain Rose Herbs shall pay for goods, and not the other way around. When the growers set the price, we can all be assured that farming families and workers receive the financial security they feel is necessary to continue their agricultural heritage that we all rely upon for our very survival.

Charitable Giving
One of the finest expressions for all of us at Mountain Rose Herbs is the ability to extend our sincere support to the numerous organizations and individuals who all share a reverence for the world we live in, and we do this by allocating an average of $55,000.00 dollars each year for charitable giving, sponsorships, community functions, conservation work, and plant related projects.
We are especially proud of the fact that we currently maintain the position as the largest donor of this kind in the organic herbal products industry, and we are hopeful that our current annual allocation will increase with each successive year. To view a complete list of of all the organizations we support please click here.

Fair Trade Protection
Mountain Rose Herbs became the first U.S. supplier of Fair Trade Certified medicinal herbs and we will continue to pursue our commitment to transparent and fair exchanges between growers and ourselves through the Transfair program. In addition to this we offer an enormous selection of Fair Trade teas thus securing a portion of the sale to agricultural communities that have been traditionally exploited for generations. To learn more about the Fair Trade program please click here.
We have taken one additional step which goes beyond traditional Fair Trade practices through our Good Trade Program which we feel more fully protects the growers and harvesters financial interests. While Fair Trade programs are beneficial and important, they only allocate a certain percentage of the transaction to those involved with the production of goods, and this is done without direct negotiating rights being exercised by the growers, and the premiums added to the products they offer are strictly determined by the markets. What we have developed in our Good Trade Program is a business model where the growers get full negotiation rights for the products they grow, and they in turn dictate what prices Mountain Rose Herbs shall pay for goods, and not the other way around. When the growers set the price, we can all be assured that farming families and workers receive the financial security they feel is necessary to continue their agricultural heritage that we all rely upon for our very survival.

Our Catalog
We restrict the mailing of our catalogs twice a year and only to those that request them or customers within a 9 month period. We do not superfluously or needlessly distribute thousands of catalogs to every person we feel might be interested in our products, thus preventing them from being thrown away. Our current catalog is 76 pages and the non-glossy interior pages were manufactured on 100% recycled stock and the glossy pages were manufactured on 50% recycled stock. The printing is done with soybean-based inks, and absolutely no petroleum or solvent-based solutions were used in the production of our catalog. It's so clean it can even be composted!
At this time we have decided to stay away from producing a glossy catalog because of the amount of chemicals used in the process.....the findings were truly incredible!

Using Recycled and Non-Toxic Materials
All invoices, flyers, brochures and other paper materials printed for our customers by Mountain Rose Herbs is done on 100% post consumer waste material. We will never utilize nor purport the use of virgin paper materials in anything we print within our business. All of the office supplies we use within the entire company are made from recycled, tree free, or chemical free sources. A short sampling includes push pins, coffee coasters, plastic file organizers, pens and paper clips which are made from post-consumer recycled material, all CD's, discs, and computer supplies are from salvaged or recycled sources, and all of our folders, binders, clip boards, scissors, and other paper and plastic materials are purchased from green companies specializing in post consumer recycled materials.

Our Shipping Materials
Our packaging material is tediously screened by other green businesses who work within the same paradigm as Mountain Rose Herbs. We use recycled post-consumer newsprint to cushion your order, our boxes used for shipping your orders are made from 100% post-consumer corrugation material, and the plastic bubble wrap we use for breakables and glass is manufactured from 25% recycled post-consumer plastic. The paper used for inserts, invoices, brochures, etc is always made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and the peanuts which are occasionally used in our parcels are salvaged and cleaned from other companies and individuals.

Chemical Free Facility
Mountain Rose Herbs does not use, nor allow within its facility, chemical cleaning agents, bleaches, synthetic and chemical based soaps, ammonia, chlorine, dioxide, commercial pest repellents, fumigants, or other synthetic agents which are harmful to ourselves and the environment. Pest management practices include the use of sonic repellers, pheromone traps, and the vigilant application of both diatomaceous earth and pyrethrum powder. We do not fumigate nor do we use chemical killing agents. All cleaning products used within our facilities are 100% natural, bio-degradable and are approved for use within certified organic facilities. The primary industrial cleaning agents are ordered in bulk from the Bio-Kleen Corporation, with the exception of Grapefruit Seed extract mixed with Lemon Essential oil and Baking Soda as a general cleanser. The production and processing centers within our warehouse use Peracetic Acid as a sanitizer and industrial cleaning agent. Peracetic Acid is a concentrated form of Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar, is completely biodegradable, and it is approved by the EPA.

Zero Waste Company
Mountain Rose Herbs is a successful "Zero Waste" company where any perceived materials which might be regarded as waste are either recycled, re-used, composted, reclaimed, or brought back into the production cycle.
Everything is collected and sorted for proper reclamation including the backs of labels, plastic bags, scrap metal from barrels, poly-woven bags, herbal refuse material, buckets, oil and much more!
Because of our unwavering commitment to absolute environmental stewardship, we have enthusiastically embraced what is known as the zero waste paradigm. This ideology strives to eliminate all waste by re-thinking and re-designing the current business model to create a more dynamic approach to resource recovery, product design, and recycling.
It is our hope to emulate and follow the cycle of the natural world, which produces no waste, and utilizes all outputs as needed and vital inputs to continue the cycle of life. Zero waste produces a mutual interdependence that every living thing can benefit from. We have integrated the ideology of zero waste to reduce, reuse, and recycle in every area of our business. By re-injecting perceived waste back into our business model, we not only help sustain the fragile bond between man and the natural world, but have also help in the creation of jobs and the saving of money.
To learn more about our Zero Waste accomplishments and how we did it please see Zero Waste

Recycling Programs
Virtually all waste generated by Mountain Rose Herbs is either recycled or salvaged. All office paper, metal and plastic drums, scrap paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, plastic, steel, and wood is salvaged and recycled. The standards are set so high that recyclable materials found in trash cans is often a punishable offense! All waste oil from our bulk vegetable and carrier oil division is collected for bio-diesel salvage which amounts to nearly 50-60 gallons a month, and all dried botanical refuse material is collected for composting at local facilities and nurseries which amounts to nearly 3000-5000 pounds annually. We also recycle all electronic and computer components which are no longer in working condition by taking them to a local facility for proper salvage, reclamation or disposal, thus preventing several known heavy metal sources from being land-filled. Each year this amounts to numerous computers, calculators, faxes, printers, and processing machines.

Carpool and Bicycle Program
Mountain Rose Herbs offers one of the nations finest carpool and cycling programs which pays substantial cash incentives to all employees who either carpool or bicycle to work.
Currently we pay staff members who carpool to work 12 cents per mile for each passenger, and for those who bicycle to work, we currently pay 20 cents per mile.
In addition to this we offer a $500.00 bonus at the end of each year to the individual who has logged the most passenger miles. As we are all aware, excess automobile usage is an environmental burden with consequences of great magnitude. Driving cars requires unsustainable and non-renewable resources; while simultaneously contributing to the growing problem of Co2 emissions and global climate change and we feel this carpool and bicycling program works in a small part to alleviate these problems.

All Computers and Monitors Purchased are EPEAT Certified
All of the computers and monitors purchased by Mountain Rose Herbs are EPEAT certified at the gold level which means that they have been approved and rated for their environmental attributes. This includes the elimination of heavy metals in the construction of circuitry, using recycled materials in the housing of the unit, their extended life cycle, lead free components, their energy efficiency, and much more.
While it may not seem like a substantial amount, Mountain Rose Herbs can go through an average of 11-12 computers annually which adds up! Learn more at EPEAT

Paid Time For Community Involvement
Mountain Rose Herbs offers each of its employees 2 full paid days each year so they may donate that time to work for community, environmental, and social functions. This amounts to a total of 16 hours of paid time earned annually for each employee which is fully reimbursed. All of our staff may volunteer or donate their time to functions of their choosing, and this can amount to over 1000 community hours which Mountain Rose Herbs will fully compensate for! This just goes to show that if everyone does a little, we can accomplish most anything.

Company Cargo Vehicles Powered by Used Vegetable Oil
Our commercial fleet vehicles run on bio-diesel!
Mountain Rose Herbs owns and uses commercial cargo vehicles and trucks for general company use and for all deliveries within the Eugene, Oregon area and these are strictly fueled by bio-diesel from local facilities. The bio-diesel we use is manufactured from 100% waste oil which the Kettle Chips factory produces as well as other establishments. Because Kettle Chips is just north of us in Salem, Oregon, the transportation necessary to get the fuel to us is minimal. This further outlines our commitment to environmental sustainability and lessening our impact on global warming.

Energy Usage
Mountain Rose Herbs is proud to have converted its entire operation to 100% renewable energy by transferring all of its conventional electrical power usage to renewable energy sources, credits, and development through the Carbonfund.
Carbonfund is a non-profit organization dedicated to transferring current energy usage to renewable sources and to learn more about our energy program please see Carbon Fund.
In addition to this we have instituted an aggressive energy consumption model which includes...

• A complete lighting upgrade in our principal facilities to thin diameter, low impact, fluorescent cylinders which draw far less power than traditional fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs.
• Our company switched our cargo and delivery vehicles to run on used vegetable oil based Bio-Diesel
• Replacing all appliances and refrigerators to E-Star compliant models
• A company wide upgrade to LED flat screen monitors instead of traditional CRT monitors which use about 65% more energy and generate nearly 5 times as much heat.
• Newly installed E-Star rated central heat and cooling units which are maintained and serviced quarterly for optimal performance and efficiency. These units are highly energy efficient and are E-Star rated
• All computer purchases have been converted to EPEAT certified models which have been Gold Star rated for their environmental attributes including energy conservation, the amount and type of packaging used to ship and house the computer, and the refusal to use harmful materials in the construction of the computers.

Sustainable Recognition and Green Business Awards
Our environmental and sustainability initiatives are so thorough that we have been recognized and awarded by both our industry and community. These include-

• Mayor Kitty Piercy of Eugene honored us with the city's prestigious "Bold Steps Towards Sustainability Award". To be recognized with the award, Mountain Rose herbs had to answer numerous questions and enforce new policies towards ecological business practices. For more information, please see... Mayor's Award
• Mountain Rose Herbs was recognized as the business of the year in 2008 by Mt. Pisgah Arboretum. Mount Pisgah Arboretum is a non-profit organization dedicated to a mission of maintaining Pacific Northwest plant communities, offering environmental education programs for all ages, and providing facilities for the public enjoyment of its carefully restored and maintained site.
• Mountain Rose Herbs was the recipient of the 2008 Co-Op America People's Choice for Green Business of the Year Award. Co-Op America identifies businesses that are committed to social and environmental responsibility, and only businesses that have passed Co-op America's screening process are eligible. For more information please see Co-Op America People's Choice Award

And many more from non-profits, county agencies, and trade groups.