RB ditches eco-friendly laundry range

Reckitt Benckiser’s eco-friendly laundry and cleaning range Down to Earth has been axed after sales failed to meet retailers’ expectations.

The range of products has been gradually delisted from retailers over the past six months. It was launched in the early Nineties and included laundry detergents and dishwashing products.

A RB spokeswomen confirms that the range has been discontinued, but refuses to explain the reason behind the move. However, industry sources say that larger rival Ecover, which is distributed by Infinity Foods in the UK, pushed the brand out of the market.

One source says that the household cleaning and laundry market is only large enough to sustain a single eco-friendly brand. He says: “The shelves are only big enough for one brand. Reckitt Benckiser had no intention of supporting the brand, so it drifted out of retailers.”