Air Wick® Launches National Reseeding Program to Protect and Restore Nature

PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As a brand dedicated to connecting people to nature, Air Wick® today announced its commitment to help restore and protect native wildflowers. Through a partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Air Wick Scented Oils will reseed one billion square feet of native wildflowers and grassland habitats in the Northern Great Plains over the next three years, the largest single corporate contribution for World Wildlife Fund's Northern Great Plains program. This joint effort will raise awareness of the critical need for more wildflower habitats and encourage the public to take part in improving local and national biodiversity.

"Nature is a key element of Air Wick's authentic fragrances, which bring an elevated sensory experience to more than 70 million households across the country," said Chris Tedesco, General Manager of US Marketing, Hygiene at RB. "These reseeding efforts in partnership with WWF will drive meaningful change to protect nature, and we hope to empower the public to spend more time outdoors and take action to protect the world around them. By planting just one square foot of wildflowers in local communities across the country, together we can give back and help nature thrive." 

Since 2009, the United States has lost 33 million acres of grassland and wildflower habitats in the US Great Plains, which equates to half the size of Colorado. For more than 7 years, grasslands in this region have been plowed-up at an average rate of four football fields per minute, prioritizing row-crop agriculture over the preservation of wildlife and this important ecosystem. In turn, every year more and more acres of native habitats are lost, risking the demise of vital wildlife species and one of the world's only remaining temperate grasslands. Air Wick Scented Oils and WWF's commitment will help to restore and protect one of the last remaining regions of its kind.

"The Northern Great Plains provides a rich and diverse environment for both wildlife and wildflowers to thrive. But this critical grassland ecosystem is one of the most threatened habitats in the world, and we're losing hundreds of thousands of acres annually to plow-up from expanding row crop agriculture," said Martha Kauffman, Vice President, World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains Program. "Our collaboration with Air Wick Scented Oils will provide essential support to restore healthy native grasslands and provide habitats for pollinators and wildlife."

Air Wick is on a journey to become a more sustainable and environmentally conscious brand. The brand continues to put immense care into creating and releasing responsibly sourced scents, including its new range of scented oils which are crafted with more natural ingredients and the BOTANICA by Air Wick Collection which sets a higher standard within the air care category with its responsibly sourced ingredients.

"At RB our purpose is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. This embodies our commitment to operate responsibly and sustainably, while innovating our products to improve the lives of consumers," said Sonia Thimmiah, Head of Sustainable Brands and Customer Partnerships at RB. "We are thrilled by the partnership with WWF to bring life and biodiversity back into local communities and raise awareness of the prominent need for more wildflower habitats."

Consumers can join in and do their part to help restore one of the critical components that nature needs to survive, starting by planting one square foot of native wildflowers in their backyard, garden or community. One square foot at a time, together, everyone can help to reseed and rebuild nature and all that it provides.

For more information on Air Wick Scented Oils and WWF's reseeding initiative and to find which wildflowers are native to your community, visit https://www.airwick.us/mission.

About RB:

RB* is driven by its purpose to protect, heal and nurture in a relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We fight to make access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right, not a privilege, for everyone.

RB is proud to have a stable of trusted household brands found in households in more than 190 countries. These include Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex, Durex, Scholl, Clearasil, Lysol, Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Cillit Bang, Mortein, Finish, Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Air Wick and more.  20 million RB products a day are bought by consumers globally.

RB's passion to put consumers and people first, to seek out new opportunities, to strive for excellence in all that we do, and to build shared success with all our partners, while doing the right thing, always is what guides the work of our 40,000+ diverse and talented colleagues worldwide.

For more information visit www.rb.com.

*RB is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies.

SOURCE Air Wick