Thorne. For almost 40 years, our name has inspired confidence in the pursuit of personalized, scientific solutions for health and wellness. But our dedication doesn’t stop with our high-quality products and services that help individuals achieve their health and wellness goals. We are committed to embedding corporate responsibility into the fabric of our business practices.

To that end, Thorne continues to integrate principles of environmental, social, and governance into its corporate culture. In its first Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Factsheet, Thorne details its global efforts toward fostering a culture of social responsibility.

“Our culture empowers our employees,” says Paul Jacobson, Thorne’s chairman and chief executive officer, in the report. “From our distinguished researchers to our elite customer-care team, every individual has a firsthand opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to the health of the communities in which we work by creating opportunities for our employees to give back and support the causes they care about.”

Environmental Responsibility

Thorne’s role in protecting and preserving our environment starts with sourcing the best ingredients on the planet. We partner with suppliers whose practices emphasize quality, science, and environmental responsibility.

In the past year, Thorne debuted Daily Greens Plus, a powerhouse formula of nutrient-dense greens, botanicals, and daily vitamins for mind and body.* A foundational ingredient is kelp from Atlantic Sea Farms, located in Maine. Not only does kelp provide health benefits for the body, it does for the planet as well. Kelp plays a key role in mitigating the negative effects of global climate change. A significant portion of carbon and nitrogen emissions ends up in the oceans, making the waters more acidic and less habitable for marine plants and animals, but kelp does an excellent job of absorbing carbon and nitrogen from the environment. Although wild kelp forests can sequester up to 20 times more carbon per acre than land forests, most traditional kelp harvesting practices decimate these wild-growth forests. Line-grown kelp from our supplier – Atlantic Sea Farms – is grown and harvested under controlled, open aquaculture conditions, leaving the wild beds of kelp where they are, where they can do the most good for the ocean ecosystem. Atlantic Sea Farms’ model of line-grown kelp farming also provides year-round income for local fishing communities. Thorne’s collaboration with Atlantic Sea Farms demonstrates how a model that places a priority on farmers, community, and the Earth can direct us to a whole new way of producing food.

Besides sourcing sustainable ingredients, Thorne is committed to using better packaging alternatives for our products. As part of this effort, we continue to expand our revolutionary dissolvable disc supplement line. This first-of-its-kind supplement makes a functional beverage that delivers a nearly zero carbon footprint and uses one-third the amount of water per 8-ounce serving compared to traditional beverage manufacturing. With plastic-free packaging and cartons certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, our supplement discs are designed to be dropped into a reusable water bottle, removing single-use plastic bottles from the bottled beverage equation.

Social Impact

We strive to create an inclusive workplace where employees feel heard, valued, and appreciated for who they are and the contributions they make. Our Thorne United committee oversees efforts to foster community involvement and a sense of belonging among our employees. Thorne’s workforce reflects our commitment to diversity: 49 percent of employees are female, and 39 percent self-identify as a person of color. 

Beyond developing a workforce that brings together people with unique backgrounds, Thorne has ongoing efforts to reduce inequalities through education sponsorship – including tuition grants for employees and their children – and volunteer efforts. In addition to direct charitable campaigns, Thorne supports and recognizes employees’ volunteer efforts. Tennis champion Madison Keys, a Thorne ambassador and creator of the Kindness Wins Foundation, visited Thorne’s campus in Summerville, S.C., this past spring to award the “Medal of Kindness” to Michelle Savell, an inventory management supervisor, for her work with the Summerville Miracle League, which organizes athletic activities for children with special needs.

“We are so appreciative of the time Madison spent with the Thorne team and for recognizing a Thorne employee who is incredibly kind and a passionate advocate for inclusive youth athletics,” says Tom McKenna, Thorne’s Chief Operating Officer. “Thorne prides itself on the impact we make in and around our South Carolina community.”

Governance

To earn the trust of our customers and stakeholders, Thorne emphasizes a culture of accountability and responsibility. In addition to compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Thorne supports the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by United Nations member states in 2015. We recognize the importance of these goals and link several of them to operations to pinpoint where we can make the most positive impact and remain transparent throughout the process.

To support our sustainability efforts, Thorne takes a proactive approach to our supply chain by exercising oversight with suppliers willing to support our environmental, social, and governance initiatives, and partnering with suppliers who share our values and objectives for mutual long-term success.

Founded in 1984 as a small company dedicated to being a “thorn” in the side of the traditional supplement industry, we have evolved from a humble supplement maker into an unparalleled health ecosystem fueled by innovation and technology, proprietary multi-omics databases, artificial intelligence, and digital health content to deliver a total system for health and wellness.

Just as good health is a journey and not a destination, so is the pursuit of sustainability in our environment and our communities.

“Our focus ahead is unwavering,” Paul Jacobson says in the SASB report. “We are excited for what the future holds for Thorne and to share our sustainability story with you.”

Read the full SASB Factsheet here. For more health and wellness content – including the health and wellness of our environment and communities – check out our Take 5 Daily blog.