Kimberly-Clark releases recycling figures

Hygiene products maker says it used 24 percent recycled content in its tissue last year and boosted plastic scrap use.


Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., as part of its newly published annual report on sustainability, included a 24 percent figure for the recycled content of its tissue products globally.

In its recap on the company’s impact on forests, Kimberly-Clark says recycled fiber comprised 24 percent of its tissue products feedstock. The company says it “achieved 87 percent environmentally preferred fiber use” status globally by also using 63 percent virgin wood fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

In terms of its plastics use, Kimberly-Clark says last year it “continued its work to explore more sustainable, commercially viable and scalable alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics.”

That meant in 2021 it doubled the percentage of recycled content in its plastic packaging, and it “further increased the amount of packaging globally that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable to nearly 84 percent, as it strives for 100 percent by 2025,” the company says.

“We will remain steadfast in our efforts to reach our goals because we believe it’s the best way to care for the people we serve, it’s the right thing to do for our planet, and it helps us deliver on our purpose,” says Lisa Morden, vice president with Kimberly-Clark.