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| The Canadian Boreal Forest is North America’s largest old growth forest, providing habitat for threatened wildlife such as woodland caribou and a sanctuary for more than one billion migratory birds. It is also the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon on the planet, storing the equivalent of 27 years worth of global greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Also of interest: Kimberly-Clark finally caves after five-year campaign to stop their assault on ancient forests |
After a five-year target campaign by Greenpeace, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the maker of Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle brands, recently announced stronger standards to conserve forests globally. Greenpeace, which worked with Kimberly-Clark on its revised standards, announced that it will end its “Kleercut” campaign, which focused on the company and its brands. See: Americans flush ancient forests down the toilet. Consumers who demand tissue from recycled sources can push this process along and ensure that K-C reaches their sustainability goals.
“We are committed to using environmentally responsible wood fiber and today’s announcement enhances our industry-leading practices in this area,” said Suhas Apte, Kimberly-Clark Vice President of Environment, Energy, Safety, Quality and Sustainability. “It is our belief that certified primary wood fiber and recycled fiber can both be used in an environmentally responsible way and can provide the product performance that customers and consumers expect from our well-known tissue brands. We commend Greenpeace for helping us develop more sustainable standards.” Learn the facts about the five-year program to change Kimberly-Clark's practices:Kimberly-Clark finally caves after five-year campaign to stop their assault on ancient forests. Despite the nicey-nice Kimberly-Clark press release statements quoted above, the company only changed the direction of their unsustainalbe practices after intense targeting by Greenpeace, consumers, and environmentalists.
Kimberly-Clark has set a goal of obtaining 100 percent of the company’s wood fiber for tissue products, including the Kleenex brand, from environmentally responsible sources. The revised standards will enhance the protection of Endangered Forests and increase the use of both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified fiber and recycled fiber. By the end of 2011, Kimberly-Clark will ensure that 40 percent of its North American tissue fiber is either recycled or FSC certified – a 71 percent increase from 2007 levels that represents 600,000 tons of fiber.
“Today, ancient forests like the Boreal Forest have won,” said Richard Brooks, Greenpeace Canada Forest Campaign Coordinator. “This new relationship between Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace will promote forest conservation, responsible forest management, and recycled fiber as far and wide as possible.”
Kimberly-Clark states they will eliminate the purchase of any fiber from the Canadian Boreal Forest that is not FSC certified by the end of 2011. The Canadian Boreal Forest is North America’s largest old growth forest, providing habitat for threatened wildlife such as woodland caribou and a sanctuary for more than one billion migratory birds. It is also the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon on the planet, storing the equivalent of 27 years worth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, the revised standards reinforce Kimberly-Clark’s long-standing ban on use of wood fiber from illegal sources; adds a preference for post-consumer recycled fiber; and supports expansion of recycling initiatives and the identification, mapping and protection of areas that have the potential to be designated as Endangered or High Conservation Value forests.
“These revised standards are proof that when responsible companies and Greenpeace come together, the results can be good for business and great for the planet,” said Scott Paul, Greenpeace USA Forest Campaign Director. “Kimberly-Clark’s efforts are a challenge to its competitors. I hope other companies pay close attention.”
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world’s population use K-C brands.
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. Read the facts about this five-year campagin to change Kimberly-Clark practices.
Soure:http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/
Comments
What's new about this? I read this last week in a German paper.
Well--looks like they scooped us! We've run previous articles about effect of Kimberly-Clark's practices on the Boreal Forest. We wanted to be sure and give them credit when they decided to change their ways. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for this info. I notice that they won't stop using the Boreal forest timber for a while, so I'm going to keep buying the recycled paper. Glad the big guys are finally getting with the program!
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