The Clorox Company

Last edited by crocodyl on April 23, 2008 - 11:11am

Company Snapshot:

The Clorox Company headquarters are located in Oakland, California. Clorox manufactures bleach and other cleaning products, Glad-brand trash bags and other plastic products, cat litter, car polishes, Brita water-filtration systems, condiments, and charcoal barbecue briquettes. They also own Burt's Bees, a line of natural body care products.

Ownership status:

Publicly traded

Number of employees worldwide:

7,600

Chief executive officer:

Donald R. (Don) Knauss

Website:

http://thecloroxcompany.com

Corporate accountability

Environment and product safety:

In December, 2007, the U.S. EPA fined The Clorox Company $95,000 for donating Chinese versions of Clorox Disinfectant Bleach to Los Angeles charities, as the donated bleach was not labeled with English-language warnings about toxicity and proper use, and as the labeling was not pre-approved for US use by the EPA. During this investigation by the EPA, they "uncovered 38 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act violations."

The site of the Clorox Company's original factory at 850 42nd Avenue, Oakland, CA is contaminated with mercury, and underwent remediation under the scrutiny of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Liquid bleach was produced at this factory from 1919 until 1957 using a mercury cell process. There is still mercury present in the soil and shallow groundwater, and there are land use restrictions in place on the property to prohibit the property to be used for a residence, hospital, school, or day care center. According to Oakland's property records, this property was sold in 2002 to AC HOLDINGS LLC SW, and is currently used as a manufacturing facility for Sitcom Furniture.

Aside from the Clorox Company's Oakland headquarters, there are currently three manufacturing plants operating in California: 2600 Huntington Drive, Fairfield; 7200 Johnson Drive, Pleasanton; and 4333 Bandini Blvd, Los Angeles.

Anti-competitive and consumer protection:

In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission investigated the Clorox Company for specious advertising practices regarding their liquid bleach. As Clorox Bleach is registered with the EPA as a pesticide, Clorox CAN claim disinfectant properties for this product, however, the Clorox advertising campaign suggested that other bleaches do not kill germs, which the FTC found to be a specious claim as the active germ-killing agent in bleach is the bleach itself, making all bleaches germ-killing. The ads were pulled by Clorox and no enforcement action was taken by the FTC.