Begley's Best

"Shipping costs are so high now, that it costs about $80 for me to ship, say, four cartons of the product to a supermarket in Santa Barbara. If I drive it up myself, I spend about $7 in fuel at today's gas prices. This way, I sell it at a competitive price, and the customer's happy, the store's happy, and I'm happy!"
-Ed Begley Jr.

January 21, 2008 —

Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. has a reputation of being the greenest guy in Hollywood. Known for showing up at red carpet events on a bicycle and living in a house that is entirely solar powered, Begley currently stars in the HGTV reality series, Living With Ed, which showcases the many green living solutions that Ed and his wife Rachelle employ in their home.

In 2003, Begley began selling his own line of environmentally safe cleaning products, Begley's Best, based on the Newman's Own business model. Like Paul Newman, Ed uses his likeness and celebrity to help gain exposure for his products, hoping that after the first use customers will get hooked on their superior quality. Also like Newman, Ed doesn't personally profit from company at all, donating any profits directly to charity.

Until last year, Begley's Best had only one employee: Ed Begley Jr. Ed personally put labels on every bottle of cleaning product he sold, and would frequently make local deliveries in his electric car to save on shipping costs. Now that the product has grown to the point that it is sold in over 100 stores — including Whole Foods and Wild Oats — the operation has expanded to three people.

If you can't find Begley's Best at your local supermarket, all of the products are available for order from the company's website.