July 10, 2007

[CEO]
[Company]
[Address]
[City], [State] [Zip]

Dear [CEO],
By now you have received our letter expressing our interest in improving ingredient labeling on household cleaning products and requesting a response to our questionnaire on ingredient labeling. We believe that a complete listing of ingredients on the label of a cleaning product is essential for consumers interested in making an informed decision at the point of purchase. If your company does not already list ingredients on the label, we formally request that you add this information to your packaging.

Enclosed you will find this questionnaire that will inform us about your company’s policy on ingredient labeling. We are making the same request of other companies in your industry. In late July, WVE will release a report on the
health hazards of commonly used chemicals in cleaning products. We will simultaneously make public the results of this inquiry. We hope to add your company to a list of businesses that currently provide or plan to provide this important consumer information on product labels. We would appreciate receiving a written response to this letter and the completed questionnaire by July 13th.

Who We Are:
Women's Voices for the Earth is a national environmental health organization based in Missoula, MT, that works to reduce and eliminate persistent toxic pollution which disproportionately affects women's and children's health. We represent the interests of thousands of women across the country who are increasingly concerned about exposure to pollutants in every day consumer products.

Our Concerns About Ingredient Labeling:
We understand that currently, there is no federal or state requirement for companies to fully disclose product ingredients on the packaging. Thus, many companies choose not to include ingredient lists on their labels, although there are some companies that do. We are interested in knowing more about why companies embrace different labeling policies. Ingredients in cleaning products often have long complicated scientific names. While these names may not have meaning to many consumers, we have become aware that there is a growing interest, particularly among women, to better understand the relationship between these ingredients and the health of their families. While research on chemicals found in consumer products is becoming more prevalent, there is also a greater public awareness about the general lack of health and safety information and the implications of low dose exposures to many different chemicals found in our environment and in our homes. Due to this lack of information, there are segments of the general population that prefer to avoid certain types of chemical exposure for precautionary reasons. For example, individuals affected by conditions such as asthma or allergies often look to avoid  substances that may trigger or exacerbate their symptoms.

Similarly, women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, take extra precautions to avoid exposures that may impact the development of their child. Individuals with chemical sensitivities or various other diseases are also concerned about controlling their exposures to certain substances.

Understandably, there are limitations to how much information a product label can provide. However, product labels present the most accessible venue for conveying this information to all consumers, especially those who are actively looking for products without chemicals of concern. Comparison-shopping often takes place in the grocery store aisle, making the product label the most appropriate place to find pertinent ingredient information.

Women’s Voices for the Earth represents a rapidly growing constituency of women who want to make informed choices about the  products they consume. We look forward to notifying them about your company’s policy on ingredient labeling. Again, if you have not done so already, please send us a formal response to this request by July 13th.

If you have any questions, you may contact me, or my colleague Erin Thompson, at (406) 543-3747. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,
Alexandra Gorman
Director of Science and Research
Encl.
Questionnaire

Please complete the following questions and submit your responses to:
Alexandra Gorman
Director of Science and Research
Women’s Voices for the Earth
P.O. Box 8743
Missoula, Montana 59807

You may also send your responses by email to wve@womenandenvironment.org.

1. Does your company include full ingredient labeling on the household cleaning products you sell?     Yes No

If not, why not?

If not, are you willing to consider providing full disclosure of ingredients on the product label?     Yes No

2. Are there other ways your customers can access information on ingredients in your cleaning products? (i.e. website, MSDS sheets, toll-free customer service number, etc.)

3. Do you have a formal policy on ingredient labeling? If so, please provide a copy of this policy in your response.

4. Would you like to receive a copy of the aggregate results of this survey?     Yes No