Procter Squeezing its Detergent Line

2006-10-18 | 09:58

Procter & Gamble Co. is testing concentrated versions of its Tide, Dreft and other laundry detergents, a move that could lead to fewer plastics and chemicals entering the environment. The 2X Ultra line will replace all current versions of Tide, Gain, Cheer, Era and Dreft, Paul Vraciu, Procter's brand manager for detergent compaction, told BrandWeek. The products are being tested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this month and Procter expects to launch the line nationally within 18 months. The effort comes six months after competitor Unilever rolled out the All Small & Mighty triple-concentrate version of All detergent. The benefits include using less plastic in packaging and fewer chemicals because less detergent is ultimately used, Procter said. The concept might be a byproduct of Procter's work in poorer nations, said Lauren DeSanto, an analyst for Morningstar Inc. In some markets in South America and Asia, for instance, it is common to use pellets and concentrated versions of cleaners. “It's taking some developing market learning and adopting it to developed markets,” Ms. DeSanto said.