New Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products Sell in Empty Bottles

ARM & HAMMER, one of America's most trusted brands with a century-long history of concern for the environment, introduces environmental ingenuity to the household cleaning category with ARM & HAMMER Essentials Cleaners. The new products -- Cleaner & Degreaser, Multi-Surface Cleaner and Glass Cleaner -- are made from plant-based and other biodegradable cleaners, work as well as traditional cleaners, and save consumers money. Best of all, they are housed in innovative, environmentally sensible packaging designed to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills.

Of the 60 billion pounds of plastic waste Americans generated in 2006 alone, only a meager 7 percent was recycled(1). The ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) Cleaners refill system -- a reusable trigger spray bottle and replaceable cleaning concentrate cartridge -- uses 80 percent less packaging than traditional pre-filled cleaners, significantly reducing plastic waste and its impact on the environment.

"ARM & HAMMER has addressed everything families should consider when choosing environmentally responsible cleaning products," said David Bach, the eight-time national bestselling financial author and green lifestyle expert who wrote Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying). "ARM & HAMMER Essentials(TM) is a true breakthrough in affordable, effective green cleaning. By simply keeping the bottle for re-use, people can make a big difference in reducing waste."

ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) Cleaners are easy to use. Consumers purchase a starter kit -- priced comparably to traditional household cleaners -- that consists of an empty, refillable trigger spray bottle and concentrate cartridge. They simply fill the bottle with tap water, twist on the concentrate refill cartridge, and are ready to clean. When they use up the cleaner, they purchase refill cartridges that cost up to 25 percent less than traditional cleaners.

Helping Families Clean "Greener" -- and Save Money
Plastic from household cleaners and containers can generate more waste than many people suspect: 28 billion pounds in 2006 alone(2). Most plastic trigger spray bottles used in traditional cleaners end up in landfills, but U.S. landfills are closing at the rate of one per day(3), creating an urgent need for more efficient, environmentally sensible habits.

According to a recent ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) survey(4), the average American family has eight household cleaning products in their home. But half of the consumers surveyed confess that they don't recycle their household cleaning bottles as much as they should; and 46 percent report that they don't think a lot about the environmental impact of household cleaning products. In fact, household cleaning products ranked last in a list of items that are considered "top of mind" for recycling, behind cans, paper, water bottles and jars.

The good news for families is that ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) bottles can be reused at least seven times (an estimated 2-1/2-year life span), reducing plastic waste that they might otherwise throw away. By purchasing refill concentrate cartridges instead of a new bottle each time, consumers get the benefit of reducing their carbon footprint -- and saving money.

Traditional cleaning products contain up to 95 percent water, meaning the main ingredient consumers pay for is water. By using ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) Cleaners refill system, consumers use their own tap water, and pay only for the refill cartridges, which can save them up to 25 percent versus traditional cleaners.

"These products were designed to help people clean green, offering them an environmentally sensible and powerful alternative to traditional cleaners," said Bruce Tetreault, Group Product Manager on ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM). "The refillable packaging reduces waste, and the plant-based cleaners are less harsh, but work as well as traditional cleaners. Consumers get all of these benefits while actually saving money."

Multiple Environmental Benefits

ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) benefit the environment in several significant ways:

  -- Fewer Chemicals: ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) Cleaners reduce
     unwanted chemical use. The products use plant-based cleaners derived
     from coconuts and palm kernel oil, as well as other biodegradable
     cleaners. The products contain no ammonia or phosphates, and use fewer
     chemicals(5) than traditional cleaners.
  -- Fewer Resources: Producing ARM & HAMMER(R) refill packaging consumes 82
     percent fewer trees per ton and 82 percent less petroleum per ton than
     for traditional trigger spray bottles. Less packaging also means a
     reduction in energy use and packing materials.
  -- Less Energy: Shipping fewer trigger spray bottles takes 70,000 trucks
     off the road, saving more than 18 million gallons of fuel and 40 tons
     of CO2.(6)
  -- Less Packaging Waste: The refills were designed to use 80 percent less
     packaging than two standard, prefilled 32-ounce cleaners, reducing
     potential landfill waste.

Since its inception, the ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) brand name has stood for simple solutions to household needs and for active concern for the environment. The company began using recycled paperboard in its packaging in 1907 and launched the nation's first non-polluting, phosphate-free laundry detergent in 1970. ARM & HAMMER(R) Essentials(TM) takes the brand's commitment to reducing the environmental effects of its products to the next level.

FREE News Updates ... Subscribe to Packaging Digest Newsletters Now

.