Kimberly-Clark signs up for sustainable consumer tissue

The company claims it is the first US tissue maker to adopt the initiative, by offering branded tissue-based products that meet the strict requirements stipulated by the standard.

Committing to the standard means that the company must supply wood-based fiber, the principal materials for tissue, from suppliers who have been independently certified to standards of sustainability and environmental awareness set out by the Forest Steward Council.

Adoption of FSG standard​

The initiative will be identified to consumers through the use of the FSC standard label on the company’s products, which will initially be carried on the Kleenex and Scott Natural brands.

The move follows significant pressure from environmental groups such as Greenpeace, which has campaigned since 2005 to highlight the fact that the company was logging wood from ancient Borreal forests in Canada and Alaska. Greenpeace ceased the campaign in 2008

Kimberly-Clark is the leading global player in the consumer tissue market, where it is represented in a number of categories, including baby care, family care and feminine care, through the company’s extensive portfolio of leading tissue brands.

Wipes spill into personal care​

Many of the tissue products it produces are wipes, which overlap into the personal care category. This includes a vast array of different brands and categories, including Huggies wipes for the baby category and Wypall wipes for the professional category.

Referring to the move as a ‘milestone’, Kimberly-Clark vice president Suhas Apte said the standard would help to create greater consumer awareness and adoption of FSC-certified fiber.

“K-C’s commitment to FSC certification for its Kleenex and Scott Naturals brands will grow the demand for sustainably sourced fiber and will encourage more suppliers to practice responsible forest management,”​ said Apte.

Consumers get quality and eco-friendly credentials, K-C says​

The company believes that its involvement with the standard will assure customers of the environmental credentials of its tissue-based products, without compromising the quality of the fibers that are used.

As the company continues to expand its footing in the consumer tissue market, last month it launched its latest tissue designed to combat sore noses brought on by flu and constant wiping, which even included a skin care benefit.

The Kleenex Cool Touch tissue is made with a blend of ingredients, including a formula of cooling moisturizers and aloe. The company states that when the tissue comes in contact with a person's skin, body heat activates the formula to release a cool sensation.