NEW YORK (AP) - Cleaning "green" is going mainstream.
Not so long ago, consumers looking for natural, or "green," cleaning
products could only find them at natural food stores. But with more shoppers now
looking for environmentally friendly options, industry watchers say that's
changing -- and fast.
"Clearly, the cleaning product industry is going green," said Soap and
Detergent Association spokesman Brian Sansoni. "It is very noticeable."
Green cleaners still make up just about 1 percent of the entire cleaning
market. But sales in the category have grown more than 20 percent in the past
year, according to SPINS, a market research firm for the natural products
industry.
One sign that green cleaning is hitting the mainstream is the introduction
of a line of natural cleaners from Clorox Co. -- one of the first big consumer
products companies to enter the marketplace.
The line is called Green Works and includes an all-purpose cleaner, glass
and surface cleaner and toilet bowl cleaner, among others. The products are made
with ingredients like coconut extract, lemon oil and filtered water. Clorox
introduced the line in January with the backing of the Sierra Club.
Sierra Club spokesman Orli Cotel said the cleaners, which sell for between
$2.99 and $3.39, could be a way for regular consumers into the "green"
lifestyle, especially during an economic downturn. A bottle of all purpose
cleaner from Seventh Generation, in comparison, could cost between $4 and $5.
"A lot of people haven't been able to do it because frankly the price point
has been too high," she said. "People are happy they don't have to go broke
trying to live a green lifestyle."
Green Works brand manager Matt Kohler said the bigger hurdle to introducing
the product to consumers is the belief that natural cleaners don't clean as well
as well-known brand names like Comet or Soft Scrub.
"There's a lot of skepticism among consumers around green products," he
said. "You want to reassure consumers that these products are the real deal."
Kohler said Clorox is working to promote that image in its advertising with
side-by-side comparisons and samples.
Adam Lowry, co-founder of private natural cleaner company Method, said
consumers are already more willing to try green cleaners instead of their normal
household products.
"You're seeing an awakening of an awareness that some of the things we do to
maintain our homes, clean our homes and clean ourselves are maybe dirtier than
the things we're cleaning up," Lowry said.
Lowry said his company has been able to capitalize on consumers' desire for
both substance and style by making bottles in different colors and shapes. The
focus on form as well as function, he said, has helped make the brand more
appealing to mainstream consumers.
"The brands that do that are the ones that are really going to make green
come to the mainstream," he said.
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