from our university is a strong sign that the company is not
producing an environmentally sound product,” said Alex Klein, UF
junior and student activist. “Kimberly-Clark claims to be an
environmentally responsible company, but it uses wood pulp that is
clearcut from the Boreal to make throwaway products like tissues
and toilet paper. The University of Florida showed that
universities can use their purchasing power to demand that
Kimberly-Clark use recycled paper and stop wiping away ancient
forests for disposable paper products.”
Klein learned about the Kleercut campaign after attending Change
It, a Greenpeace student training. After returning to campus in the
fall of 2007, she started educating students on campus about
Kimberly-Clark and its practices. In the summer of 2008, Klein
contacted Susie Lewis, the Sustainability Coordinator for Gator
Dining Services, to ask her to phase out Kleeex in Graham Oasis and
Beaty Market. Lewis facilitated the replacement of Kleenex brand
tissues with more environmentally sustainable Seventh Generation
tissues.
“UF already has an environmentally-progressive procurement
policy and therefore we do not purchase Kimberly-Clark products on
campus. I plan to continue to educate people individually about the
Kleercut campaign and set a good example through my own actions,”
said Klein.Kimberly-Clark is the target of a growing number of
university campaigns across the country because of the company’s
continuing forest destruction. University of Florida is the 12th
university or college to take action against Kimberly-Clark due to
concerns about the company’s clearcutting practices and low use of
post-consumer recycled content. Colleges and universities that have
participated in the Greenpeace “Kleercut” campaign by removing K-C
products include Harvard University, University of Vermont,
University of Miami, University of Central Florida, Rice
University, American University, Wesleyan University, University of
California- Berkeley, and Northern Arizona University. ###
–>
VVPR info: CONTACT: Daniel Kessler, Greenpeace, 970.690.2728 (cell); Alex Klein, UF student, (407) 754-5006 (cell)
Notes:
For more information about Greenpeace’s campaign to save the Boreal and for pictures, visit www.Kleercut.net
About Greenpeace
Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
About Boreal forest destruction
1. Twenty-five million acres of ancient forest are being cleared or destroyed every year around the world. That is an area the size of a soccer field lost every two seconds. In fact, ancient forests cover only seven percent of the Earth’s entire land surface. The world’s ancient forests maintain environmental systems are essential for life on Earth. They influence weather by controlling rainfall and evaporation of water from soil. They help stabilize the world’s climate by storing large amounts of carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change. These forests also house around two-thirds of the world’s land-based species of plants and animals. They are home to millions of forest-based communities and people who depend on them for their survival and livelihoods.
2. One of the ancient forests Kimberly-Clark continues to destroy is North America’s Boreal forest. The Boreal forest stretches across the country, from the eastern Alaskan to Labrador. The Boreal has evolved for over 10,000 years and is the largest tract of ancient forest left in North America, making the protection of the Boreal forest absolutely critical. Representing 25 percent of the world’s remaining ancient forests, North America’s Boreal forest truly is a global treasure. The thick layers of moss, soil and peat of the Boreal forest form one of the world’s largest terrestrial storehouses of carbon. This carbon storehouse plays an enormous role in fighting climate change. The Boreal forest is also home to hundreds of wide-ranging wildlife species, including moose, caribou, lynx, bear and wolves. Eagles, hawks, owls, 30 percent of North America’s songbirds and 40 percent of its waterfowl nest in the forests and wetlands. The Boreal is a diverse and awe-inspiring landscape of granite outcrops, lakes, rivers, and marshes interspersed with pine, spruce, fir and poplar forests.
