Producers set new standards for detergent packages to inform consumers

Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Henkel - the three largest laundry detergent producers on the Polish market - will standardize the packages of their detergent products. Beginning in mid April, detergent will only be sold in three package sizes: 1.5 kg, 6 kg and 9 kg. "Today, if clients want to check if a detergent is cheaper they have to use a calculator," said Malgorzata Mejer from Procter & Gamble. An average Polish family uses 17 kg of detergent a year, while in the rest of Europe the number is about 40 kg. The initiative has been approved by the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (UKOiK). However, the idea is opposed by the Consumer Federation which claims the steps taken by the three companies are nothing more than marketing schemes. According to Federation president Malgorzata Niepokulczycka, European regulations will take effect soon, forcing producers to put two prices on a package: one, the price of the package, and the other, the price for 100 grams of a detergent. (Zycie, page 10) J.K.