P&G doubles its eco investment

FMCG giant Procter & Gamble is to more than double its investment in developing eco-friendly products.

Western Europe president Gianni Ciserani announced the move at a European Commission European business leaders summit in Brussels today (March 27).

Mr Ciserani (pictured) says the manufacturer will boost R&D investment in products such as Ariel ExcelGel which contains “20% less chemicals per wash” and “45% less plastic” than “common liquid detergent”, from $20m to $50m.

He said the product was also developed to allow better cleaning at lower temperatures.

The manufacturer is also upping its investment in its social responsibility 2012 sustainability goals, including upping the number of children it aims to reach with its clean water program from 25m to 300m, Ciserani revealed.

“Innovation has never been more critical to the long-term success of our business and even in these tough times we are continuing to drive innovation on our brands,” he says.

Procter & Gamble’s high profile marketer Susan Arnold announced earlier this month she is to retire and leave the packaged goods company in September.