Letter to the Soap and Detergent Association
January 25, 2008
Ernie Rosenberg
President and CEO
The Soap and Detergent Association
1500 K Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Dear Mr. Rosenberg,
We are writing on behalf of Women’s Voices for the Earth to ask you about the Soap and Detergent Association’s position on full disclosure of ingredients in cleaning products. As you know, this issue has come to the attention of the public and the media recently, as more and more consumers are asking about the chemicals in the products they use each day.[i] While we understand there is currently no regulation requiring the disclosure of ingredients, we have heard from several cleaning products manufacturers, that consumer demand has sparked discussions on this issue both within your organization and the Consumer Products Specialty Association.
As an organization representing thousands of women across the country who are concerned about chemicals in cleaning products, we would like to participate in these conversations. We believe our research in labeling practices in the U.S. and abroad, and our unique perspective as a consumer advocate would add significant value to your discussions on chemical ingredient disclosure and related concerns.
We have read and greatly appreciate the SDA’s Principles for Sustainable Development. It is clear that the companies that make up the SDA care about the health and safety of their customers and are always working to find ways to further adhere to those commitments. We believe that these Principles, especially the commitment to “promote transparent communication of safety and handling information across the chain of commerce,” support a decision to fully disclose ingredient information on product labels.
Attached you will find a document that outlines why full disclosure of chemical ingredients on the product label is of paramount importance to your consumers. We hope that this letter and the attachment provide an informative perspective for your discussions on “Going Beyond Green” at your annual conference next week.
We would appreciate a response outlining your association’s position on full ingredient disclosure by February 15. We also invite the opportunity for a dialogue with you and your staff on this issue and will be following up next month to schedule a time to meet. We expect there to be future media stories on the issue of ingredient disclosure in 2008, and it would be very helpful for us to understand where the SDA stands on this issue. You can reach us at 406-543-3747 or by email at erin@womenandenvironment.org or dori@womenandenvironment.org.
Sincerely,
Dori Gilels
Executive Director
Erin Thompson
Campaigns Organizer
Cc: Brian Sansoni, Soap and Detergent Association
Attachment: “Why Are We Asking For Full Disclosure of Ingredients on the Label”
[i] For example,
“Clorox Introduces Green Line of Cleaning Products” 1/14/08, San Francisco Chronicle;
“Trying to Turn Mr. Clean into Mr. Green” 10/1/07 MSNBC.com;
“Could Your Cleaning Products Make You Sick?" 7/24/07 KIRO News (Seattle);
“A Clean House or a Clean Bill of Health?" 7/24/07 NPR Marketplace
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