P&G To Boost Sustainable Product Program

Procter & Gamble will launch a large-scale green marketing campaign in the U.S. next year that’s aimed to appeal to the average consumer rather than hard-core environmentalists. The pledge was made during the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City.

“We are targeting the mainstream consumer —rather than the ‘environmental’ consumer – who does not want to give up on the brands that they like, but wants to use them in a sustainable way,” said Glenn Williams, a P&G official.

P&G said the campaign hopes by the end of 2010 to have 30 million U.S. households using products with reduced environmental impact. It also plans to deliver information on saving water and energy and reducing waste to at least 50 million homes over the same period.

The program is expected to follow the pattern already tested in both the UK and Canada where P&G formed partnerships with three non-profit groups to educate consumers about saving water, energy and waste.