RACINE, Wis., April 21, 2010 – SC Johnson is celebrating Earth Day on the Root River bike path this year. On Saturday, April 24, a team of SC Johnson employees and their families will spread along the length of the Root River bike path to pick up litter and other discarded objects to help keep the bike path clean and safe for families in the Racine community.

“SC Johnson has a long history of doing what’s right for our environment,” said Kelly M. Semrau, Vice President – Global Public Affairs and Communication. “While we believe every day should bring conscious efforts to preserve our planet, we are inspired and motivated to share this vision with people everywhere on Earth Day. The Root River bike path is a great place for families and we are excited to help keep it that way.”

Deepening Earth Day Roots at Root River
The company has been coordinating Earth Day volunteer opportunities for several years. Some activities in the past have included The Racine Zoo and Root River. 

This year, SC Johnson’s Earth Day Team worked with the Root River Environmental Education Community Center (REC) in downtown Racine to adopt the bike path for Earth Day and the company encourages the community to join the fun. “Whether it’s picking up a stray soda can on the side of the road or tending to a garden, we hope the community of Racine gets out to enjoy the day,” said Semrau.

The Root River Environmental Education Community Center (REC), located at 1301 6th Street in downtown Racine is a partnership between the City of Racine and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Activities at the REC are coordinated by the Center for Community Partnerships at UW-Parkside.

A History of Doing Good
In addition to community service, SC Johnson, a family company, has a long history of doing what’s right for the environment. Going as far back as 1935, the company daringly invested time and research into finding a sustainable source of wax, the main ingredient in many of the company’s products. Throughout the decades, SC Johnson has made strides to continue developing and improving its products.

• In 1975, the company voluntarily and unilaterally eliminated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from our aerosol products worldwide – a full three years before the U.S. mandate to do so, because of concerns about CFCs impact on the ozone layer.
• In 1993, SC Johnson eliminated paradichlorobenzene (PDCB) in toilet products because it affects ozone in the upper atmosphere and is also a water contaminant that may accumulate in the food chain.
• In 2002, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was eliminated from SC Johnson packaging because it is not biodegradable and has been linked to health problems and other issues.
• Also in 2002, the company eliminated chlorine-bleached paperboard packaging because the chlorine can cause contamination of air and water.
• In 2004, SC Johnson eliminated the organophosphate insecticide DDVP because of links to human health and environmental risk.
• In 2006, insecticide, propoxur, was eliminated because of its toxicity and persistence in the environment.
• In 2008, the company began working with its suppliers to eliminate phthalates from the fragrances they supply for SC Johnson’s products because of consumer concerns about the larger class of substances in the phthalate family.

Building on the company’s community service and environmental efforts, today SC Johnson:  

• Utilizes renewable energy from wind turbines, waste palm shells and cogeneration turbines to power manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indonesia and the Netherlands
• Sources approximately 36 percent of its worldwide electricity usage from renewable energy*
• Sets aside 5 percent of pre-tax profits globally for corporate giving – nearly four times the average

About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, ECHO®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 124-year-old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

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* Information is based on a baseline taken in 2000 through 2008.