Endangered Species Chocolate

Headquarted only a few miles from my home in Indianapolis since 2005, Endangered Species Chocolate is committed to protecting species and the environment. Their building is LEED® registered by the U.S. Green Building Rating System.

Some of the environmentally friendly things they do in the office are:
* Recycle used paper for draft documents.
* Bins for paper, plastic and aluminum recycling.
* Use recycled pallets
* Recycle corrugated materials through a local waste collection company.
* Chocolate bar wrappers are printed on recycled paper and use water based ink.
* Furniture is constructed of 23-100% recycled materials.
* Consolidate heavy freight shipments to cut down on fuel consumption.

Note: The company relocated from Oregon to Indiana to have a more central location to ship from.

Visit the U.S. Green Building Council site to learn more about this rating system.

Their colorful wrappers help to increase awareness of species currently listed as threatened or endangered on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Endangered Species List.

On my organic dark chocolate with cherry wrapper, there is a cute picture of a koala. Inside the wrapper there is information about koalas and some of the problems they face. For example, bushland habitat is being destroyed at a rapid rate, and though koalas are protected by law, their food sources and habitats are not.

Giraffe Print Purse.
See all of their wrapper products at this link.

Endangered Species Chocolate's partners include:

The African Wildlife Federation and
The Ocean Conservancy.

The Ikom region of Nigeria (see map) - In 2006, Endangered Species Chocolate team members traveled to Nigeria, where some of their cacao is sourced, to observe ethical trade in action. They also provided school supplies for nearly 2,000 children and installed water pumps for two local villages.

In 2007, they sponsored a medical missionary to Nigeria and in 2008 participated in a medical mission in Nigeria.

Located in southern California, AISO uses solar panels, not energy credits, to power their data center and headquarters. They are committed to helping prevent pollution and conserve natural resources.

Endangered Species Chocolate is 100% Ethically Traded. Cacao is purchased from small family-owned properties in Nigeria and Peru. They only buy cacao grown in the natural shade of rich, diverse forests. By ensuring that the farmers have humane working conditions and giving them a fair price, they help these communities flourish.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Endangered Species Chocolate created a page called It's Time For Hope. They believe that "At the base of all positive change is the idea that it could occur. Feeling, believing, thinking, and hoping that good things will happen causes us to fully engage in the process of making life better."

On this page, if you share your hopeful stories, you can win a Chocolate of the Month Club for you and one to give to a friend. The Grand Prize of the It's Time for HOPE contest is a $5000 donation to the nonprofit organization of your choice.

What a great idea!

The core value of Endangered Species Chocolate is reverence for life, modeled after renowned humanitarian Albert Schweitzer's ethic of the same name. They believe that all life is precious and deserving of respect, kindness and care, so this ethic is at the heart of their business practices.

Now how many companies do you know state that as their core value?

Endangered Species Chocolate produces ten varieties of organic milk and dark chocolate bars in addition to bite-sized treats. Some examples are: Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry, Dark Chocolate with Deep Forest Mint, Extreme Dark Chocolate, and Organic Milk Chocolate Bug Bites.

There are special collections for endangered cats and chimps that benefit rescue organizations for these species. There is also a healthy collection that includes bars such as Tree frog - Organic Health Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs, Yacon & Acai (70% cocoa).

My favorite is dark chocolate with raspberries.