At Thorne we have built our approach to personalized wellness on scientific solutions. Likewise, we have built our approach to the environment on improving the sustainability of our operations – from the supply chain to the consumer – to bring clean formulas with pure ingredients responsibly to the market.

To that end, we take pride in being an introspective company – taking time to explore what we do and how we can do better. Part of this process includes adopting an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy to progress our company’s achievements and goals and foster transparency in our operations. In 2022, we released our first annual Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Fact Sheet.

Today, we’re presenting an update on those initiatives in our latest of ESG report. You can read that report now.

“Optimizing human health also means being a champion for the health and wellness of our environment, communities, and workforce,” Thorne CEO Paul Jacobson writes in the report. “We are focused on growing our diverse workforce, keeping employees safe, and equipping them with training and resources to help them achieve career goals.”

Environmental

At Thorne, we recognize that sustainable operations mean prioritizing environmental responsibility. Through our Thorne Green Team, we are continuously adopting sustainable practices, from sourcing environmentally friendly ingredients and materials, to advocating for and educating about our conservation practices.

We continue to focus on reducing waste – we have a paperless “pick, pack, ship” system, and have transitioned from poly/plastic mailers to recyclable paper, eliminating more than 900,000 poly/plastic mailers since 2021. Nearly all our shipping supplies are made from recycled and recyclable materials.

We are turning focus to our production facilities’ energy use and have determined for the first time a baseline carbon emission footprint. From this baseline, we noted that 86 percent of our emissions come from the electricity we need to produce and store our inventory in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments. We are exploring ways of reducing carbon emissions, such as renewable forms of energy and reducing waste, and the procurement of carbon credits. We are planning to deploy solar power in the coming years.

Social

As a leader in health and wellness, the health and wellness of our employees takes center stage. We continue to foster an inclusive workplace, especially important as we gain new insights from our growing workforce.

In 2022, we grew to 544 full-time employees as of December 31, up 9.6 percent over the previous year. As a testament to our company’s ability to form deeper relationships among colleagues and maintain a culture of engagement, the increase in staff has accompanied a decrease in employee attrition, falling from 4.4 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022.

We continue to modernize our talent management practices in order to better hire talent and manage our team members’ advancements. In 2022, 43.5 percent of hourly staff received on-the-job and classroom training that resulted in functional certifications as part of our robust professional development programs. Focus on in-house career development and growth resulted in 15-percent more internal promotions in 2022, compared to 2021.

Our diversity numbers dipped slightly in 2022, with women making up 47 percent of employees, down from 49 percent in 2021, but consistent with 2020 data. The percentage of self-identified ethnic and racial minorities also retreated slightly to 38 percent in 2022, down 1 percentage point from 2021, but remaining well above the 2020 rate of 32 percent. We remain confident in achieving our goals of at least 50 percent female staffing and at least 40 percent people of color.

An empowered workforce goes hand in hand with an empowered community. In 2022, Thorne continued strengthening its communities through multiple philanthropic initiatives. These efforts include providing paid time off for employees who volunteer, partnering with Trident United Way, and participating in the Feeding America fundraiser to collect more than 300 pounds of food for a nationwide network of food banks. Thorne also carries out food drives throughout the year to support a company-run “blessing box” in its hometown of Summerville, South Carolina, as well as a holiday toy drive for the Salvation Army, and local book drives to encourage youth literacy.

Governance

In a culture of accountability, our Board of Directors has implemented measures that ensure consistent and responsible operations to earn the trust of our consumers. The seven-member Board includes three independent directors and sets the path forward for the company on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Maintaining compliance with applicable laws and regulations through regulatory audits, Thorne’s Board actively coordinates with subject matter experts through the company to monitor and address risk. It is our policy to comply fully with the legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements that govern our business.

“We are confident the momentum of our programs will continue and our ability to report progress will grow because of the integration of core ESG principles into our daily operations,” Jacobson says. “We know that optimizing wellness is a personal journey and believe that leaders in the field must be able to deliver a scientifically validated, tailored approach with a superior user experience. Our innovative solutions are grounded in those principles.”

You can read Thorne's 2022 ESG Report here or on our Sustainability page.