Ecover set to expand its green ranges with haircare

Ecover, the green packaged goods brand, plans to roll out a new range of haircare products to beef up its personal care range.

The brand is best known for its washing and detergent products, but has recently added hand cream and shower gel to its portfolio. Ecover chief executive Mick Bremans says the company plans to roll out shampoos first, and hair conditioning products at a later date.

The launch of the products comes following the company’s acquisition of Wellmans, the homeopathic skincare brand last year. Bremans says the new product launches are in response to consumer needs and any expansion of its product portfolio will be done responsibly and continue the brand’s ethos of “sustainable solutions to hygienic needs”.

Speaking to Marketing Week, Bremans says the expansion plans are not in response to traditional packaged goods companies’ attempts to eat into its market share as they look to launch ethical and environmentally friendly detergents and skincare products. “Certainly traditional packaged goods companies are investing to reduce their impact on the environment, but all businesses will be forced to do so. We’ve been operating according to our business model for over 25 years and always aim to improve our social and environmental impact. Customers know and respect this.”

Bremans also lambasts businesses for putting too much onus for environmental responsibility on consumers: “There is so much advertising saying ‘you have to recycle/reduce energy consumption’ and so on,” he says. “It’s not right. Businesses must take responsibility and ensure they consider the consequence of their actions.”