Who is Kimberly-Clark?


Kimberly-Clark is the largest tissue product company in the world. It manufactures the popular Kleenex brand of tissue products, which is sold in several formats – toilet paper, facial tissue and napkins. Kimberly-Clark produces 3.7 million tonnes (4 million tons) of tissue products annually and generates net sales of $14.3 billion US. The company has offices, factories and mills in 38 countries and its products are sold in 150 countries. Kimberly-Clark also produces an extensive line of commercial toilet paper and paper towels that are sold to institutions like universities, high schools, governments and businesses.


“Kimberly-Clark uses “virgin” fiber from clearcut ancient forests.”

In North America, less than 19% of the pulp that Kimberly-Clark uses for its disposable tissue products comes from recycled sources. The rest comes directly from forests like Canada’s Boreal. Most of the recycled fibre that Kimberly-Clark does use goes directly into tissue products sold to institutions like theatre chains, hotels and sports stadiums. Most of the consumer products sold in local grocery stores, including Kleenex brand products, contain no recycled fiber whatsoever. Despite the fact that it has the capacity to make a much higher percentage of its products from post-consumer recycled fiber, Kimberly-Clark chose, in 2004, to use 3 million metric tonnes (3.3 million tons) of virgin fiber to produce its tissue paper products globally.

Check out the forest destruction that goes into these tissue products



A Quick Look at Kimberly-Clark Products:

Type of products:

facial tissue, napkins, toilet paper, paper towels

Brands:

Canada: Kleenex
United States: Kleenex, Scott, Viva, Cottonelle
Global: Kleenex, Cottonelle, Cottonelle Puppy, Andrex, Scottbrand, Hakle, Scottex

Made from:

Ancient forests like North Amerca’s Boreal forest

Source of pulp:

Unsustainable forest operations in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia; clearcuts

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) fibre used in 2004:

3 million metric tonnes (3.3 million tons)

Impact on ancient forests:

Devastating




» Read an ancient forest crimes case study




» Check out the Kimberly-Clark Forest Destruction Photo Gallery