The green washing liquid that gets whites clean

Last Updated: 3:01pm BST 06/10/2008
A cold water laundry gel is being hailed as a green breakthrough as it promises to get whites clean at low temperatures.

Proctor and Gamble is launching a version of Ariel that it claims cleans clothes effectively at temperatures as low as 59ºF (15ºC).Launched under the slogan 'Cold is the new hot' the new gel reinforces the environmentally-friendly message that consumers can save money on energy by washing their clothes at half the temperature needed for traditional products.

Irwin Lee, UK and Ireland vice-president and managing director of Proctor and Gamble said that the new product had taken three years and five million trial formulations to develop.
He said that the gel would be rolled out worldwide but that the UK was the best place to launch it because the £961 million British laundry market was particularly competitive and consumers more demanding.
"Ariel Excel Gel is a breakthrough development designed from the drawing board for brilliant cleaning at low temperatures. It also demonstrates P&G's continued commitment to sustainable innovation on big brands " said Mr Lee.
The new product has already been welcomed by environmental campaigners WRAP which has called for other global manufacturers to be inspired by the innovation.
Richard Swannell, director of retail and organic programmes at WRAP told The Grocer trade magazine: "We hope it will encourage other brands and companies to look at their own product pipelines in a similar way."
Hugh Jones, director of solutions at the Carbon Trust also praised the launch describing it as an example of how innovation in design or services could help to drive carbon reductions.
He said: "Businesses that meet their customers' requirements at the same time as helping to reduce their impact on the environment will be the ones that capitalise on the opportunities created by a move to a low carbon economy."
Proctor and Gamble's previous 'green' initiatives include the 'Ariel Turn to 30' campaign which was launched two years ago.