'Surprise It's Tide' campaign aims to help consumers make more informed laundry choices

New product helps Canadians to reduce their environmental impact

TORONTO , Sept. 24 /CNW/ - A recent Leger survey, sponsored by Tide Canada , revealed that Canadians see their laundry routine as an area that they can reduce their environmental impact. In fact, nine out of ten people surveyed said that it's somewhat or very important for them to use an environmentally-friendly detergent. But additional responses suggest that there might be some confusion about how they can make their laundry habits more sustainable.

"When asked to identify what makes a laundry detergent environmentally friendly, most respondents (33%) said that it should be phosphate-free," said Robert Pettifer, a product researcher with Procter & Gamble. "What might be surprising to consumers is that most laundry products sold in Canada are already phosphate-free and have been for years."

The survey also found that almost two thirds of Canadians believe that laundry products with 'green' in the name are more environmentally-friendly.

Pettifer is not surprised by these findings: "As environmental awareness has increased, consumers have been bombarded with green messaging and products that claim to be 'green'. But the reality is, there are so many different things to look at when assessing if a product can help you reduce your environmental footprint."

Pettifer encourages consumers to look at whether the product is in a concentrated package, if it's recyclable, how much energy is used in shipping and manufacturing and whether it's compatible with energy-saving appliances.

Tide Canada is aiming to address some of the consumer misperceptions in a new campaign, Surprise It's Tide, designed to inform consumers of Tide's environmental pedigree and educate them on how they can reduce their environmental and energy impact in the laundry room. Last year, Tide converted its entire laundry portfolio to a 2X concentrated format, resulting in up to 43 per cent less plastic in the packaging and, on average, 35 per cent less water than before concentration. This also means fewer trucks are needed on the road to ship the product and it takes up less space in the recycling bin.

"The great thing about laundry and the environment is that the ability to make a difference is in your hands," says Pettifer. "In fact, the two best things consumers can do are to wash their clothes in cold water and to use a high-efficiency washing machine. Both of these are small changes, like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs or using cloth grocery bags."

The Surprise It's Tide campaign profiles Tide's commitment to helping consumers reduce their impact on the environment. By using products such as Tide Coldwater, Tide High-Efficiency and the newly-launched Tide Coldwater High-Efficiency detergent, consumers can reap the energy and cost-saving benefits of washing their clothes in cold water and using a high-efficiency machine.

And we know that Canadians see their laundry routine as an area that they can make a difference. In a recent survey sponsored by Tide Canada , nine out of ten people said that it's important for them to use an environmentally-friendly detergent.

The Surprise It's Tide campaign runs from July to November, 2009. For more survey data, consumer tips and a videocast with Robert Pettifer, visit www.laundromatters.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Always(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R). Bounty(R), Pringles(R), Swiffer(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Clairol Nice 'n Easy(R), Herbal Essences(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. P&G is the leading consumer products company in Canada with over $2.7 billion in annual sales. Please visit www.pg.ca for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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For further information: Louise Armstrong, Michelle Yeh, Palette Public Relations, [phone] x 12, 22