CSPA President's Blog to Set the Record Straight on Consumer Products.

WASHINGTON -- The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) today launched the blog On the Record to serve as a cyber-platform for its chief spokesman, President Chris Cathcart, to discuss key issues confronting the consumer and institutional specialty products industry. In the inaugural posting, Cathcart takes up the subject of green cleaning with his commentary, "Know the Facts before You Green Your Clean." The blog will be updated every few weeks.

"I commend today's eco-sensitive consumers who want to make a positive contribution to the environment by choosing 'green' cleaning products," said Cathcart. "But what exactly does green cleaning mean? There is no definition for it. It seems to be the 'politically correct' answer to nearly every cleaning problem, creating a buzz in the media and spilling onto our grocery shelves in the form of 'green' and 'natural' products. As the industry group that represents makers of both traditional and naturally-derived cleaning products, we believe it's important for the consumer to know about the important public health benefits of cleaning products. They should choose products that effectively protect against viruses that cause cold, flu and diarrhea, and bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli. Many so-called green products provide no such protection."

Cathcart points out that traditional cleaning products are extensively tested to ensure safety and environmental compatibility and contain carefully selected ingredients, many of them naturally-derived. He urges consumers to consider the facts about products that claim to be "green" or contain "natural" ingredients, because such terms are sometimes used as a marketing ploy to capitalize on the green cleaning movement. Other terms used in green product promotion, such as "chemical-free," also could be misleading, he said, since nothing on earth, including the human body, is free of chemicals. Cathcart offers the CSPA paper, Knowing the Facts about Chemicals Helps to Put Traditional and "Green" Products in Perspective, for a better understanding of green cleaning.

"Our products are a part of the daily life of every American," said Cathcart, "and I hope that On the Record will help to explain how our industry works to make products that our consumers need and want to keep their indoor and outdoor environment clean and healthy."

The Consumer Specialty Products Association is a non-profit national trade association representing approximately 260 companies engaged in the manufacture, formulation, distribution and sale of hundreds of familiar consumer products. It is organized into seven divisions: Aerosol Products, Air Care, Antimicrobial Products, Cleaning Products, Pest Management Products, Industrial & Automotive Specialty Chemicals, and Polishes & Floor Maintenance Products.