Clorox to launch "green" cleaning line across U.S.
CHICAGO, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Clorox Co (CLX.N), best known for its namesake bleach, is bringing out a line of environmentally friendly cleaning products, Chairman and Chief Executive Don Knauss said on Thursday.
Called Green Works, the line was test marketed in Northern California this summer. It features biodegradable, nontoxic, plant-based cleansers that are not tested on animals, are nonallergenic and come in recyclable packaging, Knauss told investors at a Lehman Brothers conference. His comments were also broadcast over the Internet.
Clorox is also bringing out new versions of some existing products, such as streak-free Clorox wipes and a Clorox 2 color safe bleach made for high-efficiency washing machines, Knauss said.
Green Works will be priced at about a 20 percent premium to standard cleansers and should sell for about 10 percent to 20 percent less than other natural cleaners already in the market, Knauss said. While he referred to the Seventh Generation, Method and Mrs. Meyer's brands during his presentation, Knauss did not give any specific prices.
Four out of the five products in the Green Works line were certified by Design for the Environment, a certification provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he said.
A Clorox spokesman could not confirm the timing of the Green Works national launch.
Clorox's announcement came a day after Kimberly-Clark Corp's (KMB.N) chief financial officer said that while his company is researching sustainable products, at this point consumers are unwilling to spend significantly more for environmentally friendly paper goods.
Kimberly-Clark, which makes Kleenex tissues, Cottonelle toilet paper and Scott paper towels, has also found consumers unwilling to buy items that are more environmentally sound but do not perform as well as traditional paper products, CFO Mark Buthman said at the Lehman Brothers conference on Wednesday.
Knauss said Green Works was the first natural cleaner that worked as well as traditional cleaning products.
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