Proctor & Gamble’s ‘Future Friendly’ Program is set to expand into the United States. Already operational in the UK and Canada, Future Friendly is a multi-brand initiative aimed at educating consumers on the ways they can reduce waste, water and energy by making smarter purchases for everyday home products.
The Future Friendly media push will begin March 29 and Future Friendly labeled products will begin appearing on shelves in April. Over 15,000 retailers will participate in the initiative’s initial phase, which I take to mean they will stock their shelves with FF-labeled products.
Which products will get the Future Friendly label? The press release out of P & G named a few, including Tide, Pampers, PUR and Duracell (all part of P & G’s family of products). How does a product “earn” the label? Tide’s “Coldwater” detergent gets the label because it has been formulated to clean clothes using only cold water, which saves energy.
I wonder if the Kleenex Hand Towel will get the Future Friendly label. Probably not. That’s a Kimberly-Clark product.
I’m all for educating consumers on the ways they can find the most environmentally-friendly everyday household items when doing the weekly shopping, but I have to play the cynic for just a second. A company slaps a “good for the environment” label on their own products and we’re to just take their word and buy it? Where’s the third party testing and verification?
In their defense, P & G does have a track record for sustainability, and their goal of consumer education on the matter of sustainability is backed up by the findings in an Ipsos Public Affairs “Consumer Conservation Survey,” which found, among other things, that “37% of consumers cited a lack of enough information about what to do as the top reason preventing people from leading a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle.” Future Friendly’s answer to those 37%? Buy Proctor & Gamble brands.
Will you be looking for the Future Friendly label the next time you’re shopping?
Credit: Proctor & Gamble
