Walgreens joins eco push, launches Ology line of green products

Drug store chain Walgreens is trying to win its share of a growing group of eco-conscious consumers, launching a line of household products free of harmful chemicals, which it’s calling Ology.

The collection includes baby goods, laundry detergents, glass cleaners and shampoos formulated without ammonia and other harsh ingredients often found in other brands, according to Walgreens.

The Ology name will also encompass compact fluorescent light bulbs and facial tissue and other paper goods made with resources such as bamboo instead of trees.

The goods, priced to compete with conventional rivals, are to reach the nearly 8,000 stores in the Walgreens system this month.

Ology will compete against other green-product lines increasingly crowding retailers’ shelves.

Clorox Co. has a Green Works collection of cleaning, disinfecting and laundry products. Seventh Generation recently debuted a laundry detergent bottle made of cardboard. Wal-Mart executives say that going green is “good business.”

The number of U.S. shoppers likely to choose environmentally friendly packaging has soared in recent years, attracted by marketing phrases such as “recyclable” and “natural.” But one in five consumers said many so-called green products offer confusing claims, according to a report from Perception Research Services.

As more companies catch on to the bottom-line benefits of loving Mother Earth, some environmentalists have accused retailers of greenwashing, or making their products out to be greener than they really are.

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