ROSWELL, Ga., April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- Kimberly-Clark Professional today announced the launch of
GreenHarvest products, a cutting edge offering that incorporates
rapidly renewable plant-based fiber, such as wheat straw and
bamboo, into Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.
Kimberly-Clark Professional is the first major towel and tissue
manufacturer in North America to
introduce products made with 20 percent plant fiber in place of
tree fiber or recycled fiber. These innovative products
required the development of an entirely new supply chain to
directly obtain wheat straw from U.S. farmers and the creation of a
first-of-its-kind manufacturing process for converting plant fiber
into pulp.
"In a resource-constrained, digital world, with fewer sources of
recycled fiber, and the need to put less pressure on natural
forests, it's important to continue exploring non-tree fibers,"
said Iris V. Schumacher, North
American Sustainability leader, Kimberly-Clark Professional. "With
the GreenHarvest line, Kimberly-Clark is pioneering a new approach
to sustainable fiber sourcing and delivering innovative products
with the quality and performance customers expect from our trusted
brands."
GreenHarvest offerings include Kleenex hard roll towel and
Kleenex Cottonelle coreless standard roll bathroom tissue made with
20 percent bamboo fiber, and Scott multi-fold towels, standard roll
bathroom tissue, coreless JRT Jr. bathroom tissue and coreless
standard roll bathroom tissue made with 20 percent wheat straw
fiber.
These products, along with Kimberly-Clark Professional Forest
Stewardship Council Certified (FSC) and ECOLOGO certified products,
can help facilities earn points toward Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design (LEED) certification and the Association for
the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS
program.
Rapidly Renewable Fiber
Bamboo and wheat straw meet the U.S. Green Building Council's
definition of rapidly renewable materials because they can
regenerate in less than 10 years. These fibers have shorter
harvesting cycles, which reduces the amount of land needed to
support demand and takes advantage of abundant plant
sources.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and
some species can grow at rates of more than three feet per day.
Wheat straw is the residue that remains after wheat is harvested.
Over 45 million tons of this agricultural byproduct is
generated in the U.S. every year, with relatively few beneficial
uses. Incorporating these fiber "leftovers" into towel and tissue
products helps reduce farmland waste and provides additional income
to farmers, by enhancing the value of their crops.
"By creating a new, beneficial use for wheat straw,
Kimberly-Clark Professional is providing an economic boost for
farmers, adding value to our state's largest crop and helping us
reduce agricultural waste," said Aaron
Harries, vice president of research and operations, Kansas
Wheat Commission. "It's a win-win-win solution for farmers, the
economy and the environment."
Sustainability Leadership
Kimberly-Clark Professional has a long history of innovation and
environmental leadership. It has invented entirely new product
categories, such as coreless and jumbo roll (JRT) bathroom tissue,
and was the first away-from-home towel and tissue products company
in North America to obtain FSC
chain-of-custody certification for a broad range of towel and
tissue products. It currently holds the largest portfolio of FSC
certified towel and tissue products in North America.
In 2012, Kimberly-Clark Professional became the first major
towel and tissue manufacturer in North
America to pilot the use of products containing non-tree
fiber. GreenHarvest products are the "next-generation" of these
products, an initiative recognized by leading environmental
non-governmental organizations (ENGOs).
"Kimberly-Clark has demonstrated that it can lead in the field
of sustainable fiber for its tissue products," said Rolf Skar, Forest Campaign Director, Greenpeace.
"Its foray into the emerging field of commercial-scale sustainable
alternative fibers is a good example. As one of the world's largest
towel and tissue products manufacturers, K-C is leading the way and
showing other companies that they too can innovate to find new ways
to make their supply chains more sustainable."
To learn more about GreenHarvest products and other
Kimberly-Clark Professional sustainability initiatives, visit
www.kcprofessional.com.
About Kimberly-Clark Professional
Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create
Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer and
more productive. Key brands in this segment include: Kleenex,
Scott, WypAll, Kimtech and Jackson Safety. Kimberly-Clark
Professional, located in Roswell,
Ga., is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's four business
sectors. To see how we are helping people the world over work
better, please visit www.kcprofessional.com.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global
brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than
175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's
population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to
enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as
Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark
holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries.
To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the
Company's 143-year history of innovation, visit
www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or
Twitter.
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