Kleenex Cottonelle and the Environment

The Environment

Kleenex Cottonelle is dedicated to promoting the sustainable management of forests. We have recently gained Forest Stewardship Council certification and we have a committed environmental management system. We also work with organisations such as the WWF to continuously promote environmentally sustainable products and reduce our carbon footprint.

Environmental sustainability and Kleenex Cottonelle Toilet Paper

At Kimberly-Clark, we take our use of resources very seriously. When you buy Kleenex Cottonelle, you can be confident you’re doing your bit for the environment. As well as being one of the first Australian companies to have an environmental policy and an environmental management system, Kimberly-Clark is also committed to using sustainable materials in its manufacturing processes and maintaining our forests.

Kleenex Cottonelle and the Forest Stewardship Council

In 2010 Kleenex Cottonelle was granted certification by the Forest Stewardship Council, internationally recognised as the world’s most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management. It is also the only forest certification scheme endorsed by prominent environmental groups such as the WWF and Greenpeace. FSC certification means that we’ve been independently, third-party audited to ensure that every roll is sourced from responsibly managed forests and plantations. Read more about FSC certification.

WWF Support

FSC certification has earned Kleenex Cottonelle the support of WWF Australia and resulted in Kimberly-Clark Australia becoming part of the WWF Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) – a network linking more than 300 companies, communities, NGOs, and entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries around the world working to create a new market for environmentally responsible forest products and helping to ensure that millions of acres of forests are independently and credibly certified – a guarantee that the forests are well managed and that their products come from legal and sustainable timber harvests.

The Love Your Forests Campaign

Kleenex Cottonelle is proud to be the only product of its kind to feature the WWF logo on its packaging as part of the 2011 Love Your Forests campaign. A WWF initiative, the campaign aims to promote environmentally sustainable products by encouraging the purchase of FSC certified products.

The Kimberly-Clark Australia environmental policy

Our environmental policy states that Kimberly-Clark Australia will:

• Continually improve its environmental performance, prevent pollution and responsibly minimise and control its wastes
• Plan, construct and operate all operating locations to comply with applicable regulations and to act with due diligence for environmental protection and improvement
• Regularly review and upgrade its environmental management system in Australia
• Promote throughout the company a strong environmental ethic as part of its culture
• Favourably consider suppliers who pursue good environmental management practices
• Source its paper-products fibre from either:
  – Recycled fibre recovered from waste paper or
  – Virgin fibre which is made from wood out of forests which have had their operations and management certified to one of the listed forest management systems.
  – Help conserve resources by the design and production of products to reduce the use of raw materials, packaging and energy in manufacture, and by recycling production wastes.
  – Communicate openly and constructively with responsible environmental interests, government authorities and the community generally.

Through ongoing research, Kimberly-Clark has made a range of landmark sustainability and environmental achievements, including:

• Having certification for all three of our mills under the highest international environmental standards by independent and accredited auditors
• In 2010 Kimberly-Clark and Kleenex Cottonelle toilet paper received FSC certification, the only forest certification scheme endorsed by WWF and Greenpeace
• Pioneering innovative, oxygen-based bleaching methods in Australia
• Getting 30% of our energy from wood residues, which are greenhouse neutral and environmentally friendly
• Installing a $3.4 million nappy reclaim unit to recycle manufacturing waste
• For the fourth consecutive year, Kimberly-Clark has been named No. 1 in the personal products category of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World). Only the top 10 percent of the world’s largest 2,500 companies qualify for this prestigious list, with companies selected according to a systematic sustainability assessment that identifies the leaders in each industry group.
• Kimberly-Clark is also a foundation supporter of the Commonwealth Government’s environmental initiative: the National Packaging Covenant.

A sustainable future

Kimberly-Clark recently signed the second National Packaging Covenant and continued work which has been progressing since about 1990 with its three-year plan known as Vision 2010. Under this plan, Kimberly-Clark is committed to:

• Improving the way we transport products – to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Cutting back on our manufacturing waste to landfill by another ten percent.
• Developing environmentally-preferred products and packaging.
• Establishing integrated environmental and safety management systems in our facilities.
• Looking at ways to use biodegradable plastics and plastics from renewable sources.

Under Kimberly-Clark’s Vision 2005 program, the company successfully improved energy efficiency by 19 percent, water efficiency by 29 percent, and landfill waste by 30 percent.