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The Problem

Page - January 16, 2010

Kleercut: Don't blow our ancient forests on Kleenex

Who is Kimberly-Clark?

Kimberly-Clark is the largest tissue maker in the world. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the tissue giant owns the Kleenex, Scott, Viva, Cottonelle, Kotex and Huggies brands. Kimberly-Clark produces more than 4 million tons of tissue products annually and generates billions of dollars of annual sales from 150 countries around the globe. Kimberly-Clark also produces an extensive line of commercial tissue products that its sells to institutions like universities, schools, governments and businesses.

Kimberly-Clark uses "virgin" fiber from clearcut ancient forests.

Most of the pulp Kimberly-Clark uses for its disposable tissue products comes from unsustainable sources. This includes wood fiber from ancient forests like the Canadian Boreal. Most of the consumer products Kimberly-Clark sells in stores, including Kleenex products, contain no recycled fiber at all.

As the biggest tissue manufacturer on the planet, Kimberly-Clark has the resources to shift towards sustainability.  Unfortunately, they have chosen greenwashing over sustainability and business as usual over real change.

See the results of Kimberly-Clark's appetite for forest destruction in these photos

A Look at Kimberly-Clark Products

Type of products:

Facial tissue, napkins, toilet paper, paper towels


Brands:

United States: Kleenex, Scott, Viva, Cottonelle, Huggies, Kotex

Canada: Kleenex

Global: Kleenex, Cottonelle, Cottonelle Puppy, Andrex, Scottbrand, Hakle, Scottex


Made from:

Ancient forests like the Canadian Boreal Forest


Source of pulp:

Clearcut logging in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and other areas around the world


Product durability
:

Used once then thrown away or flushed down the toilet


Number of sheets of facial tissue produced by Kimberly-Clark for consumers each year:

Over 190 billion.


Amount of virgin (tree) fiber used in 2004:

3.3 million tons

Impact on ancient forests:

Devastating

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