Ensuring Consumer Understanding Is the Future of Ingredient Communication

The American Cleaning Institute’s Future Leaders are representatives of a cross-section of cleaning product manufacturers and chemistry producers, looking to the future of the industry. We connected with Future Leaders Chair Kristin Cordz, Market Actives, LLC about their recent project on meeting consumer needs for ingredient communication.

ACI: What does the future of Ingredient Communication and Transparency look like?

Kristin: The ACI Future Leaders envision the future to center on the consumer's right to understand, allowing them to make empowered decisions and to feel more confident about the products they have chosen to use in their homes. This is a step beyond the “right to know” that is currently addressed in legislation like California’s SB258 Right to Know Act.

The first step in achieving this vision is the launch of the "What Cleaning Ingredients Do!" database tool. Developed by the Future Leaders, this tool serves as a simple, searchable database of 800+ chemical ingredients commonly found in household cleaners with consistent, consumer-tested ingredients function definitions to promote consumer understanding.

ACI: How does consistent consumer tested ingredient functions support consumer understanding?

Kristin: There are so many ways to think about educating consumers to increase understanding. However, if information is presented differently by every brand they interact with, it becomes overly challenging and puts the burden on them to identify any similarities and differences among products so they can make informed decisions on which are best for their family's health and safety.

If information is standardized by using consumer-tested language validated for their understanding, this simplifies the experience while showing greater transparency. It also promotes the commitment by cleaning product brands to make every day cleaning products that are safe, beneficial, and effective through enhanced understanding of the role ingredients play within them.

ACI: Is this something consumers actually care about?

Kristin: Through our development of the database tool, the Future Leaders conducted consumer insights and listening studies as well as conducted interviews with NGOs and other stakeholders engaged in the ingredient transparency space.

Consumers told us that they appreciate seeing the primary ingredient function on labels as it helps them to understand the formulation and promotes trust in efficacy. It is also perceived as a goodwill transparency offering from cleaning product brands.

The external stakeholders told us that presenting this ingredient information in consumer-friendly language shows that brand owners are willing to go above-and-beyond the regulated minimums. They also see the most important goal for transparency is product/ingredient safety for consumer health and the environment.

While the impact of this information is still being figured out, this could help consumers who are looking to avoid certain functions for health reasons, like allergies. It could also help reduce “chemophobia.” However, all these impacts depend on consumer education, which is a critical element.

ACI: Why is consumer education so important?

Kristin: Consumer education is a key part of achieving empowerment through the “right to understand” principle. Education efforts are designed to reach people where they are and creates awareness of the tools and information available.

The standardized ingredient functions and definitions are intended to minimize the formats and language differences that consumers see. This kind of shared system removes potential confusion and simplifies a consumer's interaction with this information. As we all know in today's world it is easy to reach information overload, so when brands take the initiative to supply validated, scientifically accurate information that is also consumer-friendly and seen as helpful to understanding, it gives consumers the knowledge and caring they are seeking.

The use and inclusion of this consistent ingredient function and definitions language in all consumer-facing communications including website disclosures, marketing, and social gives multiple touchpoints and opportunities for consumers to see and integrate this information in the ways that are best and most meaningful to them.

As with any other educational campaign, the reach and adoption of this information takes time and persistence. The Future Leaders look forward to working with the brand owners and external stakeholders as we work to achieve our vision of a future that centers on a consumer's right to understand, not just their right to know.

To learn more information, please reach out to media@cleaninginstitute.org.