- Makers of Lizol, Dettol, Harpic Reckitt Benckiser has announced a fund of £ 32 million globally and will distribute 10 million Dettol soaps in India.
British consumer goods firm, Reckitt Benckiser, unveiled the RB Battle for Access Fund on Friday that will see Dettol soaps manufacturers and Harpic cleaners contribute £ 32 million globally to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the company said in a press release.
The firm will also donate 10 million Dettol soaps in India as part of the campaign, mostly among the needy.
Globally, RB will distribute one million liters of disinfectant products such as Lizol and Harpic toilet cleaner to public health facilities and educational and community staff and will distribute 3.5 million N95 masks to health workers.
“We have a 200-year tradition of making a material difference to our customers ‘lives. Our brands have a vital role to play in supporting safety and hygiene in the battle against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, “said Laxman Narasimhan, RB’s Global CEO in a statement.”
“In India, under this initiative, we will donate 10 million bars of Dettol soap to the neediest, 3.5 million N95 (medical grade) masks to frontline health staff, as well as 1 million liters of disinfectant products, such as Lizol surface cleaners and Harpic toilet cleaners, to assist public health institutions and frontline hygiene and sanitation workers in various states that are struggling to maintain their safety
We will continue to work with the government to drive change in behavior and support the great relationship that we have established through the Dettol BSI campaign, “he added.
RB joins companies like ITC and Hindustan Unilever in battling the highly infectious disease of Covid-19—now a global pandemic. ITC pledged Rs150 crore as part of a Covid-19 contingency fund on Friday while HUL has already pledged Rs100 crore. In addition, all companies that also make soaps and sanitizers have sold personal care products to be given away.
Recently in an attempt to fight the spread of novel coronavirus, Hindustan Unilever, India’s largest consumer goods company, said it would drop the prices of vital hygiene products by 15 percent and committed around Rs 100 crore. The Anglo-Dutch consumer company Unilever’s Indian business will also improve production and supply of sanitizers, hand washers, and floor cleaners.
The company said both the production and supplies of Lifebuoy sanitizers and the supply of hand washers and Domex floor cleaners would increase, even as prices for these brands are cut by 15 percent. With new manufacturing planned immediately, these items with revised price tags would take another few weeks to reach retail shelves.
