SC Johnson Concentrates on Change with New, Low-Waste Cleaning Options
Company continues concentrate revolution to help save millions of pounds of plastic each year
(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Racine, WI - February 28, 2012 - Today SC Johnson announced the expansion of its Mini line of concentrated cleaners, which now includes five of the company’s trusted brands: fantastik®, Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Shout® and Windex®. The concentrates, available at www.scjgreenchoices.com, offer an easy way for consumers to make the green choice of refilling, which could save millions of pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills nationwide.
The expansion builds on SC Johnson’s Windex® Mini concentrated refill pilot, launched in July 2011, which aimed to create dialogue, engage consumers about the green choice concentrates can offer and kick-start a concentrate revolution. The company’s goal is to create enough consumer demand for concentrated refills to earn them a spot on store shelves right next to pre-mixed products.
“We’ve been working to crack the code on what would make concentrated refills a more popular choice,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “Now we’re adding improvements that reflect the feedback we’ve heard from Windex® Mini users and move us closer to an option that we hope will create greater demand for these products. The resource savings with refills are hard to deny, and that’s something we really want to communicate and encourage.”
A Change Worth Making
American consumers buy 320 million cleaning products in trigger bottles each year, and millions of them end up in landfills. By comparison, concentrated refills use less packaging, decrease shipping impacts and reduce waste. In fact, if just 20 percent of those 320 million bottles were refilled rather than discarded, it could save seven million pounds of plastic, the weight of 1,170 minivans, in just one year.
More importantly, SC Johnson also has reason to believe that with the right products, consumers will consider the change. The company recently funded a study with GfK Roper, as part of the 20th Anniversary Green Gauge® survey, to examine green attitudes and behaviors. Among the results: 75 percent of American consumers say they feel good when they take steps to help the environment.
Better Products, Recyclable Packaging
The key to making concentrated refills a viable option is making them appeal to consumers. That’s why SC Johnson gathered consumer input received online and from focus groups during its initial Windex® Mini pilot.
And the company listened. Feedback about pourability and the importance of recyclable packaging have both been addressed. The new, expanded line of concentrated refills comes in small, easy-to-pour bottles made of the same recyclable plastic as a milk jug. The products also address a wide array of cleaning needs – from bathroom to kitchen, cleaning wood to marble to carpet – fulfilling another consumer request.
The concentrated refills are an easy and green choice to everyday cleaning. Consumers simply combine one bottle of concentrate with regular tap water in a reusable trigger bottle.
The product lineup includes:
- fantastik® Mini concentrated kitchen cleaner
- Pledge® Mini concentrated furniture cleaner
- Scrubbing Bubbles® Mini concentrated bathroom cleaner
- Shout® Carpet Mini concentrated carpet stain remover
- Windex® Mini concentrated glass & surface cleaner
A Forum to Shop and Share Thoughts
Along with the line of concentrates, SC Johnson launched its new Green Choices Marketplace, a one-stop shop for all the concentrate brands.
The online store offers a wide variety of options for purchases – something that consumers said they wanted. Shoppers can mix and match single concentrates, available for $2.50, or order starter kits, available for $5.00, that include two concentrates and a reusable bottle to help get consumers on the path to refilling. Empty trigger bottles are also available for those who need an initial bottle.
In addition, the Green Choices Marketplace once again offers an online forum for dialogue where consumers can share their tips, ideas and critiques about concentrates.
Small Change, Big Difference
Trigger bottles for almost all the concentrate brands – fantastik®, Pledge®, Shout® and Windex® – are already produced with 50 percent post-consumer-recycled content. The Scrubbing Bubbles® trigger bottle is made with 30 percent post-consumer-recycled-content. Choosing to refill has an even greater positive impact:
- Requires 79 percent less plastic than the standard bottles
- Avoids transporting 19 to 23 fl. oz. of water, depending on the formula
- The refill bottle can be recycled in most community recycling programs
But that’s just the beginning. If just 20 percent of the 320 million cleaning products sold in trigger bottles were refilled each year, it could avoid using 3.5 million pounds of virgin plastic and avoid transporting nearly 11.5 million gallons of water, which is about 17 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth.
Continuing Leadership
This latest launch by SC Johnson reflects yet another step in the 126-year-old company’s commitment to sustainability. From proactively phasing out CFCs, PVC and phthalates; to cutting worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent since 2000; to its recent announcement that it will list product ingredients on labels, SC Johnson continues to lead with its products and operations.
Learn more about SC Johnson’s efforts in its 2011 Public Report at www.scjohnson.com/2011Report
ABOUT SC JOHNSON
SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care and pest control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR. MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 126-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
