What's really in Glade, Windex and Pledge? SC Johnson will finally tell you
Alex Salkever
Nov 23rd 2009 at 9:00PMText SizeAAAFiled under: Wal-Mart Stores, Procter & Gamble
The dirty little secrets of Glade, Pledge and Windex are all coming clean courtesy of venerable consumer products company SC Johnson. The Racine, Wis. outfit said last week it had launched a new website that lists the ingredients of more than 200 of its products. The WhatsInsideSCJohnson site represents the most significant disclosure to date of the ingredients found in household cleaning products.
Lack of disclosure has been a key complaint of green activists who have often alleged that many household cleaners contain toxic ingredients. Equally important, these environmental do-gooders have charged that some supposedly green products contain ingredients that are either unsafe or suspected of having strong health effects on people.
SC Johnson becomes the second major consumer products company to take this step. Clorox (CLX) actually began disclosing ingredients last year. The latest move puts huge pressure on Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Procter-Gamble (PG) to make similar information available online to consumers.
Consumers can learn from the SC Johnson site, for example, that Pledge contains Disodium Ethanoldiglycinate, a compound used for cleaning hard surfaces and hard-to remove substances. The compound can be a skin, eye and nose irritant and is mildly toxic. Or that Windex contains Propylene Glycol, a controversial compound commonly used in glass cleaners but also in toothpaste and cosmetics. It is considered safe by the U.S. FDA and the World Health Organization. But environmentalists point to studies showing it can cause skin irritation as well as liver and kidney damage.
A Green Gun Pointed at Companies' Heads
All offer product lines specifically targeting the green market. And all will have to come clean, pronto. Call it the Wal-Mart Effect (WMT). The country's largest retailer announced July 15 it will institute a new policy requiring all of its product suppliers to calculate the environmental costs of their products. These costs will then be tabulated into an easy-to-understand green rating. Wal-Mart plans to post these ratings next to the price tags on products.
This policy change amounted to a green gun pointed at the head of consumer products companies that had, until now, refused to disclose ingredients. While Wal-Mart did not explicity say it would publish ingredients, such a disclosure would be an inevitable outcome of the green-rating process and a way to differentiate products.
Current U.S. laws do not mandate full transparency on ingredients of cleaning products. Manufacturers have long claimed that revealing ingredients would release key trade secrets and make it easy to ascertain chemical formulas for these products. Environmental groups have long claims that this exclusion for products that are used in so many homes has allowed cleaning and beauty products companies, in particular, to foist unhealthy products on unsuspecting Americans.
The SC Johnson site is certainly comprehensive. A search for Fantastik reveals two types of the cleaning product. A click on the "More Detail" tab reveals that Fantastik "Orange Action" contains two cleaning ingredients; alkyl polyglycoside and ethoxylated alcohol.
Up to Consumers to Do Their Research
The SC Johnson site does not address what health risks these two products might pose to users and their families. But it does give them the exact chemical names. This allows for specific research that can conducted either by individuals or advocacy groups. To be sure, such research remains difficult as the chemical names listed still do not give sufficient information into the exact formulation of the chemicals, something that can have a great impact on toxicity. But it establishes a baseline of disclosure and can allow consumers or researchers to begin to ask the right questions regarding the hazards around ingredients in cleaning and household products.
The move is designed to build trust bewteen SCJ and its customers. "Today's families want to know what's in the products they use in their homes," SCJ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fisk Johnson said in a press release. "For us, it's about living up to the trust our consumers put in us."
That could be a wise move in an era where a single tweet gone viral can ruin a brand's reputation in a matter of hours and create a permanent online trail of caustic comments.
SCJ lists not only cleaning agents but also dyes, chelators and pH adjusters. Two holes remain in the new policy. SCJ will list preservative and fragrance ingredients by January 2012. Aside from online availability, SCJ will allow consumers to access the new information via product labels and a toll-free number (800-558-5252), as well.
SCJ is one of the largest privately held companies in the country, with annual revenues of $8 billion and a lineup of highly recognizable brand names. The founding family still runs the company and it shows with bold moves like this. Even product companies catering specifically to the green market have not gone as far in terms of disclosure.
So one thing is for sure. The green bar for cleaning products has just been raised quite a bit higher. Let's see how long it takes for others to follow suit.
Alex Salkever is Senior Writer at AOL Daily Finance covering technology and greentech. Follow him on twitter @alexsalkever, read his articles, or email him at alex@dailyfinance.com.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/23/whats-really-in-glade-windex-and-pledge-sc-johnson-will-final/
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Safe Home Quiz
Safe Home Quiz
1.According to the National Safety Council, more children under four die of accidental poisonings in U.S. homes than: a. anywhere else in the world. b. are accidentally killed by guns at home. c. get cavities. d. all of the above. Answer: D
2. The most common cause of in-home poisonings is: a. drain cleaner b. dishwashing detergent c. arsenic d. old leftovers Answer: B. There are over 2.1 MILLION accidental poisonings by dish soap per year. The number one offender: Dawn Dish Detergent (The Top Selling Brand).
3. According to a 15-year study printed in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" which people suffer a higher death rate from cancer: a. Women who work at home. b. Men who work with asbestos. c. People who work in factories. d. Married people. Answer: A. Women who stay/work at home have a 55% greater risk of developing cancer than those who work outside the home. The majority of all cancers are triggered by exposure to hazardous substances in the environment (as reported to the President by the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee in 1980).
4. "Out gassing" is a term that the EPA uses for: a. Chemicals that leak toxic vapors through their containers and filter into the air. b. The exhaust that leaks from a garage into your home. c. The air that comes out of the bathroom after your spouse exits. Answer: A.
5.The EPA says the air we breath in the average household is: a. Safer than any outdoor air pollution. b. Twice as bad as any outdoor pollution. c. 3-5 times more hazardous than any outdoor air pollution. Answer: C. The EPA reports that because of common household chemicals, the air found in the average American household is 3 to 70 times more hazardous to your health than outdoor air pollutants. Additionally, Indoor air pollution is a suspected culprit in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which will take about 5,000 U.S. lives this year (Poisoning Our Children, Nobel Press)
6. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to: a. Allergies b. Childhood cancers c. Learning disorders d. Birth defects e. All of the above Answer: E. The Centers for Disease Control advises that there's a suspected link between the environment and the astonishing increase in birth defects, childhood cancer, learning disorders and childhood asthma in the last 40 years.
7. The California Public Interest Research Group reports of 70,000 new chemicals that have been introduced since chemical warfare testing in World War II, thousands are now used as ingredients to: a. Clean your clothes. b. Clean your teeth. c. Clean your floor. d. Clean your hair. e. All of the above. Answer: E. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
8. Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative used in: a. Embalming. b. Biology classes across America. c. A majority of the personal & home hygiene products we buy at the grocery store. d. "a" and "b." e. All of the above. Answer: E. Formaldehyde which is found in many toiletries, cosmetics and cleaning supplies is a potential carcinogen. It is also suspected of causing birth defects and genetic damage. It can be hidden under 27 different names (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) ( i.e.: Quaternium 15)
9. In consumer products the most harmful ingredients are: a. The "active" ingredients. b. The "inactive" ingredients. c. None of the above. d. It depends on the product. Answer: D. Active ingredients in products like Lysol, Tide and Cascade can be very harmful. However, in some products the inactive ingredients can actually be more hazardous to your health than the active ingredients. Interestingly enough, you may not be able to tell fro the label as companies are NOT REQUIRED to list all of the inactive ingredients in their products which are covered by the same "trade secret laws" as Coca-Cola.
10. The primary suspects of breast cancer (the #1 killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54) are: a. Hereditary factors. b. Improper diet & exercise. c. Laundry detergents, bleach, household cleaners and pesticides. Answer: C. There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Ask: What about your family? Are you ready to seek alternatives to the probable health hazards you're currently using? Why would anyone use toxic products if they knew there were safe, cost-effective alternatives?
11.BONUS QUESTION: List below anyone you know who you think would like to get safe products for free every month (one point per person listed). Don't worry, we are not going to collect this paper!
1.According to the National Safety Council, more children under four die of accidental poisonings in U.S. homes than: a. anywhere else in the world. b. are accidentally killed by guns at home. c. get cavities. d. all of the above. Answer: D
2. The most common cause of in-home poisonings is: a. drain cleaner b. dishwashing detergent c. arsenic d. old leftovers Answer: B. There are over 2.1 MILLION accidental poisonings by dish soap per year. The number one offender: Dawn Dish Detergent (The Top Selling Brand).
3. According to a 15-year study printed in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" which people suffer a higher death rate from cancer: a. Women who work at home. b. Men who work with asbestos. c. People who work in factories. d. Married people. Answer: A. Women who stay/work at home have a 55% greater risk of developing cancer than those who work outside the home. The majority of all cancers are triggered by exposure to hazardous substances in the environment (as reported to the President by the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee in 1980).
4. "Out gassing" is a term that the EPA uses for: a. Chemicals that leak toxic vapors through their containers and filter into the air. b. The exhaust that leaks from a garage into your home. c. The air that comes out of the bathroom after your spouse exits. Answer: A.
5.The EPA says the air we breath in the average household is: a. Safer than any outdoor air pollution. b. Twice as bad as any outdoor pollution. c. 3-5 times more hazardous than any outdoor air pollution. Answer: C. The EPA reports that because of common household chemicals, the air found in the average American household is 3 to 70 times more hazardous to your health than outdoor air pollutants. Additionally, Indoor air pollution is a suspected culprit in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which will take about 5,000 U.S. lives this year (Poisoning Our Children, Nobel Press)
6. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to: a. Allergies b. Childhood cancers c. Learning disorders d. Birth defects e. All of the above Answer: E. The Centers for Disease Control advises that there's a suspected link between the environment and the astonishing increase in birth defects, childhood cancer, learning disorders and childhood asthma in the last 40 years.
7. The California Public Interest Research Group reports of 70,000 new chemicals that have been introduced since chemical warfare testing in World War II, thousands are now used as ingredients to: a. Clean your clothes. b. Clean your teeth. c. Clean your floor. d. Clean your hair. e. All of the above. Answer: E. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
8. Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative used in: a. Embalming. b. Biology classes across America. c. A majority of the personal & home hygiene products we buy at the grocery store. d. "a" and "b." e. All of the above. Answer: E. Formaldehyde which is found in many toiletries, cosmetics and cleaning supplies is a potential carcinogen. It is also suspected of causing birth defects and genetic damage. It can be hidden under 27 different names (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) ( i.e.: Quaternium 15)
9. In consumer products the most harmful ingredients are: a. The "active" ingredients. b. The "inactive" ingredients. c. None of the above. d. It depends on the product. Answer: D. Active ingredients in products like Lysol, Tide and Cascade can be very harmful. However, in some products the inactive ingredients can actually be more hazardous to your health than the active ingredients. Interestingly enough, you may not be able to tell fro the label as companies are NOT REQUIRED to list all of the inactive ingredients in their products which are covered by the same "trade secret laws" as Coca-Cola.
10. The primary suspects of breast cancer (the #1 killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54) are: a. Hereditary factors. b. Improper diet & exercise. c. Laundry detergents, bleach, household cleaners and pesticides. Answer: C. There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Ask: What about your family? Are you ready to seek alternatives to the probable health hazards you're currently using? Why would anyone use toxic products if they knew there were safe, cost-effective alternatives?
11.BONUS QUESTION: List below anyone you know who you think would like to get safe products for free every month (one point per person listed). Don't worry, we are not going to collect this paper!
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