SC Johnson to Launch Its First-Ever Concentrated Refill in the U.K., Reinforcing Commitment to Plastic Waste Reduction

RACINE, Wis., June 24, 2019 – SC Johnson will introduce its first concentrated refill in the U.K. later this year for its Mr Muscle® line of cleaning products, a move that could reduce the plastic use associated with the popular household cleaners by nearly 80 percent since people would reuse bottles instead of purchasing new ones. The Mr Muscle® concentrated refills will be available on Amazon beginning August 2019.

“With a concentrate option, consumers can be confident they are making a better choice for the environment,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “By choosing to refill with a concentrate instead of buying a new plastic bottle, consumers can do their part to reduce the billions of pounds of plastic waste that are devastating our planet every year.”

The announcement comes amid increasing global concern over the level of plastic waste. The U.K. has recently banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton swabs, and implemented a plastic tax on producers failing to use enough recycled materials in packaging.¹

Concentrated Products Combatting the Waste Crisis
Concentrated products offer an accessible choice for environmentally friendly, everyday cleaning that also reduces plastic waste. Consumers simply combine regular tap water with the concentrate in a reusable SC Johnson trigger bottle, which delivers more than 10,000 sprays and can be refilled dozens of times. The reusable bottle extends the lifespan of the plastic further than a one-time-use product, keeping additional plastic waste out of landfills. 

SC Johnson has pioneered waste-reducing concentrated products for nearly a decade, beginning with the unveiling of Windex® concentrated refills in 2011. Since then, the company has broadened its concentrated products to include other popular brands, including Shout®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and Pledge®. The Mr Muscle® launch in the U.K. builds upon SC Johnson’s recently announced global expansion of concentrate offerings, with the company also planning to introduce products in Mexico this July and China and Japan this September.

Mr Muscle® has been on the market in the U.K. since 1974. 

Concentrated refills are only one way SC Johnson, a global manufacturer of household cleaning and home storage products, is working to combat the plastic waste crisis. The company was the first major home cleaning brand to launch a 100 percent recycled ocean plastic bottle in February with its Windex® Vinegar Ocean Plastic product and has used 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic for Windex® bottles since 2015.

The company has also partnered with Plastic Bank to provide critical infrastructure to areas known to be the biggest contributors to plastic in the ocean. The Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment identified five Southeast Asian countries – China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand – which accounted for almost 60 percent of ocean plastic waste. SC Johnson and Plastic Bank have already opened plastic collection centers in Indonesia, with plans for expansion, creating recycling programs aimed at minimizing waste and addressing poverty. The program transforms lives by offering social and economic benefits in exchange for recycling plastic waste. 

For more information on SC Johnson’s commitment to addressing plastic pollution, visit www.scjohnson.com/plastic. 

About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 133-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/plastic-packaging-tax