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Kimberly-Clark makes new renewable plant fibre products

30 Apr '15

2 min read

Kimberly-Clark Professional, the leading tissue manufacturer in North America, has launched GreenHarvest products, a cutting edge offering that incorporates rapidly renewable plant-based fibre, such as wheat straw and bamboo, into Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.

The company has unveiled products made with 20 per cent plant fibre in place of tree fibre or recycled fibre. The innovative products required the development of an entirely new supply chain to directly obtain wheat straw from US farmers and the creation of a first-of-its-kind manufacturing process for converting plant fibre into pulp, Kimberly-Clark said in a statement.

GreenHarvest offerings include Kleenex hard roll towel and Kleenex Cottonelle coreless standard roll bathroom tissue made with 20 per cent bamboo fibre, and Scott multi-fold towels, standard roll bathroom tissue, coreless JRT Jr. bathroom tissue and coreless standard roll bathroom tissue made with 20 per cent wheat straw fibre.

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.

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 US every year, with relatively few beneficial uses. Incorporating these fibre “leftovers” into towel and tissue products helps reduce farmland waste and provides additional income to farmers, by enhancing the value of their crops.

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 fibre. GreenHarvest products are the ‘next-generation’ of these products, an initiative recognized by leading environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs). (GK)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India