Seventh Generation’s Statement on Johnson & Johnson’s Recent Announcement

BURLINGTON, VT--(Marketwire - August 17, 2012) - This week, in response to pressure from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Johnson & Johnson announced its intention to reformulate its products using non-toxic ingredients. We loudly applaud the tremendous work done by the Campaign to encourage this change.

“We commend Johnson & Johnson for removing some of the ‘chemicals of concern’ found in their personal care and cosmetic products and taking the small step announced today,” said John Replogle, CEO of Seventh Generation. “We think there is far more the company and other companies can and should be doing, and doing it much faster.”

Johnson & Johnson’s announcement represents a start, but it’s clear that the need for sweeping systemic change that would remove all hazards from all products remains. We urge Johnson & Johnson, and all personal care and cosmetic companies, to follow the Precautionary Principle and do just that. There’s no reason they can’t -- we’ve been providing parents and others with products that supply peace of mind for 25 years, and our new baby care line represents just that -- a non-toxic alternative that we’ve made available for families to use today.

We ask consumers to make conscious choices like these when they shop and to help steer the world to a better place with their purchasing power. We also ask retailers to take responsibility for the things they sell and to take the human and environmental impacts of the products they offer into account to help convince companies to do the right thing. Finally, we call upon all our friends, customers, and fellow businesses to demand that Congress pass the Safe Cosmetic Act, which would phase out toxic chemicals, implement safety standards, require the full ingredients disclosure we’ve always practiced, and let the FDA recall dangerous products.

Eliminating a handful of the harmful ingredients from a formula while allowing others to remain and taking years to fully implement this is a half-measure and ultimately accomplishes little. It compels the question: is this about protecting public relations or public health? Indeed, the launch of the company’s own Natural line and the healthier formulations it offers overseas to meet stricter European regulations show that much stronger and far more comprehensive steps could be quickly and easily taken to more effectively safeguard the wellbeing of tens of millions of children and adults.

Together, we can make a meaningful difference and take all the dangerous toxins out of consumer products. We hope that someday soon Johnson & Johnson fully commits to joining us in this most urgent task.

About Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company’s website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation’s corporate responsibility, visit the company’s Corporate Consciousness Report.