A name can say a lot about a company, but for us, Seventh Generation is far more than just a name. It embodies the essence of who we are, what we strive to be, and what sets us apart.
Seventh Generation was born in the late 1980s in Burlington, VT. At the time, we were a niche mail-order catalog business that specialized in energy-, water-, and resource-saving products. Our name is inspired by an ancient Iroquois philosophy which instructs that “in our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” This credo guides us in every product we make, and every action we take. It inspires our belief in a seventh generation to come.
Even from the very beginning, that ideal energized us to show that business can be a force for good and help protect the health of future generations. It inspired us to raise the bar on corporate responsibility as a founding B Corp, champion radical transparency through ingredient disclosure and our annual corporate consciousness reports, and innovate to create more sustainable products.
The promise in our name strengthens our resolve in the ongoing fight for Climate Justice. We stand alongside our climate partners in calling for an end to the era of fossil fuels and a just transition to renewable energy.
Our commitment to future generations also drives radical in-house innovation. We’re setting science-based targets to reduce our products’ carbon footprint and create less waste. And we’re working to make our products and packaging safer and more sustainable.
Further, we will continue to fight for and help protect the rights and tribal sovereignty of the Indigenous communities whose traditions inspired our name and mission, which is why we direct 100% of our Foundation’s funds to Indigenous-led organizations.
The health of future generations depends on the action we take today. Our children & their children need us to live up to the promise of our name – and we will, because we truly believe in the seventh generation to come and think about them in every decision we make.
We stand with you in solidarity, on behalf of this and future generations.
