Bloomingdale, IL—NOW is marking a major milestone: 55 years since founder Elwood Richard started the company. The largest independent and family-owned manufacturer of natural products in the U.S. health food store channel, NOW is celebrating by keeping with the company’s long-standing mission to reduce environmental impact while reaching new milestones in sustainability and transparency.
“I know my father would be pleased that we have continued his commitment to doing what’s right for the environment and our customers, and are constantly raising the bar,” said Dan Richard, VP of Global Sales & Marketing, in a press release.
Among NOW's latest efforts in sustainability and transparency:
- The company is transitioning supplement bottles to be made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin. The company shared that this transition will be rolled out initially to every product in the supplement line currently packaged in white bottles, averaging more than 60 million bottles annually. Sports nutrition, pet supplements, and personal care lines will follow.
- NOW will make the Certificates of Analysis (CofA) accessible for its entire line of more than 90 100% pure essential oils. CofAs will be available to view via the NOW website, , searchable by product lot number. Each CofA shows the results of quality testing that each essential oil has undergone. NOW says this confirms that it adheres to its product specifications and NOW standards. Work also is underway to expand the public CofA program beyond essential oils, to include other categories.
- NOW is donating funds to plant 55,000 trees this year through the One Tree Planted initiative.
“When I joined NOW in 1995, I was impressed with the underlying ethics the company’s leadership brought to all decisions, and it’s been my honor to continue supporting that path,” said CEO Jim Emme. "We remain committed to doing the right things for the right reasons."
