Clorox Discloses Dyes and Preservatives

Clorox had laid claim to be the first company in its industry to disclose preservatives and dyes in all U.S. and Canadian cleaning, disinfecting and laundry products.

Clorox will also publish a list of all fragrance ingredients used in the products.

The disclosuresl build on Clorox’s existing practice of listing active ingredients, which it has provided to customers for two years.

The company will list the fragrance ingredients by numerical and alphabetical order, and link to a document (pdf) listing each ingredient’s chemical name and CAS Registry Number. The Chemical Abstracts Service assigns these numbers to every chemical available in open scientific literature.

Clorox is updating product labels with the statement, “A list of this product’s ingredients is available at www.CloroxCSR.com.”

“We applaud Clorox’s continued efforts to become even more transparent with respect to the ingredients in their products,” Sierra Club chairman Carl Pope said. “This is another example of the company responding to the immediate needs and interests of consumers.”

All products in Clorox’s Green Works line of environmentally friendly cleaners carry the Sierra Club logo.

In February 2010 Clorox launched a website detailing ingredients for more than 230 cleaning, disinfecting and auto care products.

Clorox also set guidelines for suppliers, requiring that fragrances be free from Alkylphenol (APs) or Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APEs), including, but not limited to, Octylphenol Ethoxylates and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates; Musk Ambrette; Musk Xylol; Polycyclic Musks; Diacetyl and Phthalates (such as DEP, BBP, DBP, DiBP, DPP, or DEHP).

In its first sustainability report last October, Clorox said it is on track to meet or exceed its environmental goals for 2013.

The company launched its Green Works line in December 2007, and also owns Burt’s Bees, which is perceived as one of the greenest U.S. brands, according to a recent survey. But the same survey found that Green Works was no longer regarded as a top green brand.

Rival Procter & Gamble was recently ranked seventh in a leaderboard of the companies with the highest ethical reputations.