SC Johnson Becomes First Mainstream Company to List Ingredients On All Cleaning Product Labels

Date: Jan. 31, 2012

RACINE, Wis. – In an unprecedented move, SC Johnson & Son has become the first major cleaning product manufacturer to announce that it will disclose ingredients in cleaning products directly on the label. Beginning later this year, consumers will start to see all ingredients, except fragrances, on the product’s label. SC Johnson, makers of Windex®, Glade® and Pledge®, has said their goal is to help families learn more about the ingredients that are in the products they use in their homes every day.

“We want all of our ingredients to be transparent, so consumers can make their own, informed choices on what to purchase,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson in their press release. “We also want to earn the trust and confidence every day of the people that buy our products because we work hard on our ingredient choices and strive to continually improve our products.”

“Women have been calling for this information for years. SC Johnson has made an extremely smart business move by giving consumers more information about the ingredients in these household products,” said Erin Switalski, executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national environmental health nonprofit. “Now we hope that all companies will label their cleaning products, as SC Johnson has.”

The company’s decision comes on the heels of the introduction of federal legislation that would require cleaning products to bear a full listing of ingredients on the product label.  Introduced by Representative Steve Israel of New York, the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act would also require fragrance ingredients to be listed, a step that SC Johnson and Son has not yet taken. Chemicals in fragrances such as synthetic musks are problematic as they build up in the body and have been linked to hormone disruption. Other chemicals are allergenic, and can cause respiratory problems or skin irritation for people with fragrance allergies.

“The final roadblock to full transparency is fragrance,” said Switalski.  “In order for consumers to truly know what’s in the products they use, they need to know the ingredients used in the fragrance of their products, too.  The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act will ensure this.”

In November, Women’s Voices for the Earth tested a sampling of 20 cleaning products from major corporations, including SC Johnson & Son, Clorox and Procter & Gamble. Their test results, revealed in their report “Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in your Cleaning Products?” revealed a number of allergens, phthalates, and carcinogens in air sanitizers, detergents and cleaning sprays. Without full ingredient disclosure, it is virtually impossible for consumers to avoid chemicals in cleaning products, for allergenic or health concerns.

“When I’m making choices about what products to use in my home, I’m looking for companies that don’t have anything to hide, and safe products,” said Brandy Gillespie, WVE member and mom of 2. “I think all companies will be moving in this direction eventually, and I’m glad that moms like me have raised our concerns with enough volume that we’ve been heard.”
SC Johnson & Son’s newly enhanced ingredient website can be found at: www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com.

WVE’s report, “Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in your Cleaning Products” can be downloaded here.

Contact:
Sian Wu, 206-701-4734, sian@resource-media.org
Erin Switalski, 206-543-3747, erins@womensvoices.org

Women’s Voices for the Earth is a national organization that works to eliminate toxic chemicals that impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and government policies. www.womensvoices.org

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