About Glad
Overview
Glad is an American household products brand best known for its trash bags, food storage bags, plastic wraps, and food protection solutions. The brand focuses on helping consumers manage everyday kitchen tasks, including preserving food freshness, storing leftovers, and handling household waste. Today, Glad is owned by The Clorox Company and is one of the company’s major consumer brands.[1]
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand name | Glad |
| Industry | Household consumer products |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Origin | United States |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California, United States (through The Clorox Company) |
| Parent company | The Clorox Company |
| Main products | Trash bags, food storage bags, plastic wraps, containers |
| Key markets | United States, Canada, Australia, and other international markets |
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History
Origins and founding (1960s)
Glad was introduced in 1963 when Union Carbide launched Glad Wrap, a polyethylene food wrap product designed for household food preservation. The product entered a market where consumers were increasingly looking for convenient ways to store and protect food.[2]
The original Glad Wrap technology was developed in Australia by Union Carbide researchers, including chemist Douglas Lyons Ford, during the early 1960s. The product became one of the early cling-type food wraps available to consumers and helped establish the Glad name in kitchen storage.[2]
In Australia, Glad expanded in 1966 with products including food wraps and bags, becoming a long-running household brand in kitchens.[3]
Ownership history
Union Carbide era
Glad began as a product line of Union Carbide, an American chemical company. The early brand focused primarily on food wraps and plastic food protection products.[2]
First Brands Corporation era
In 1985, the Glad brand in the United States was sold to First Brands Corporation. Under First Brands, Glad expanded beyond food wraps into trash bags and other household products.[2]
Clorox ownership
In 1998–1999, First Brands was acquired by The Clorox Company, bringing Glad into the Clorox portfolio. The acquisition significantly expanded Clorox’s household products business.[1]
Clorox later developed Glad through product innovation and partnerships, including a joint venture with Procter & Gamble involving Glad food and trash products.[1]
Products
Glad’s product range is divided mainly into two categories:
Trash bags
Trash bags are Glad’s most recognized products. The brand produces bags designed for:
- Kitchen waste
- Outdoor garbage
- Heavy-duty household cleanup
- Odor control
- Leak and tear resistance
One of Glad’s notable innovations is ForceFlex™ technology, designed to allow bags to stretch and resist tearing while holding irregularly shaped waste.[1]
Popular trash bag product lines include:
- Glad ForceFlex™
- Glad ForceFlexPlus™
- Glad Drawstring Bags
- Glad OdorShield™ bags
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Food storage and preservation products
Glad also produces products designed to keep food fresh, including:
- Plastic wraps
- Sandwich bags
- Freezer bags
- Food storage containers
- Specialty food protection products
Important product innovations include:
Glad Press’n Seal®
A food wrap designed with a sealing surface that can cling to different materials and help protect food from air exposure and leaks.[1]
GladWare®
Reusable food storage containers developed under the Glad brand family.[1]
Brand identity and marketing
Glad’s marketing has traditionally emphasized reliability, convenience, and solving everyday household problems.
“Get Glad” campaign
One of Glad’s most recognizable advertising themes was the slogan:
“Don’t get mad. Get Glad.”
The campaign positioned Glad products as simple solutions to common household frustrations, particularly kitchen messes and waste management challenges.[2]
The Man from Glad
During the 1960s and later decades, Glad advertisements featured “The Man from Glad,” a character portrayed as an expert who arrived to solve household problems. The character became one of the brand’s best-known marketing symbols.[2]
Innovation and technology
Glad has built much of its reputation around material science and convenience-focused design.
Major innovations include:
ForceFlex™ technology
A flexible trash bag structure designed to improve strength and reduce tearing.[1]
Odor control technology
Glad developed odor-control features using scent technologies and odor-blocking approaches to make garbage storage more manageable.[1]
Reduced plastic initiatives
The brand has worked on reducing material use while maintaining product performance, including efforts to create stronger bags using less plastic.[1]
Sustainability efforts
Glad has increasingly focused on waste reduction and environmental initiatives.
Areas of focus include:
- Reducing plastic used in manufacturing
- Improving product efficiency
- Supporting recycling initiatives
- Exploring alternative waste management solutions
The brand has participated in programs such as the TerraCycle Loop initiative for recyclable food storage products.[5]
Global presence
Glad products are sold internationally, with especially strong recognition in:
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Other markets where household storage and waste products are sold
The brand has developed different product lines depending on regional consumer needs.[3]
Relationship with The Clorox Company
Glad is an important part of Clorox’s portfolio of household brands. While Clorox is historically known for cleaning and disinfecting products, Glad represents its presence in food protection and waste management categories.[1]
The brand complements other Clorox businesses by focusing on everyday household care rather than chemical cleaning products.
Brand significance
Glad has remained a major household name because it combines:
- Practical everyday products
- Strong brand recognition
- Material innovation
- Convenience-focused design
- Long-term consumer trust
From its origins as a food wrap product in the 1960s, Glad has evolved into a broad household solutions brand covering both food preservation and waste management.[2]
