Kimberly-Clark reports progress in sustainability report

"Kimberly-Clark has delivered products that are essential for a better life for more than 140 years now. This year's Sustainability Report shows that we are continuing to advance in areas such as product innovation, reduction of environmental footprint within our operations and responsible sourcing of raw materials, while at the same time enhancing workplace safety and fair labor practices," said Tom Falk, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark.

"We will continue to apply passion and ingenuity to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with a spirit of good stewardship," Falk said. "We are working with the same dedication to quality, service and fairness established by our founders. Our dedication to those values and long-term sustainability has never changed."

Kimberly-Clark's ongoing sustainability efforts have been recognized globally, appearing for the 10th straight year on the "FTSE4Good Index" for corporate responsibility and recently repeating its designation among Ethisphere magazine's "World's Most Ethical Companies."

This year's report highlights the Company's progress towards its multi-year Sustainability 2015 goals.  Built around the pillars of People, Planet and Products, the goals integrate social, environmental and economic elements into the Company's broader agenda. Some select 2012 actions taken to sustain healthy working environments and communities are:

People
- 8 K-C mill sites attained 1 million labor hours worked safely without a reportable incident.
- $33 million in cash and product donations for disaster relief and community support.
- 13,000 employees enrolled in Small Steps — a program designed to enhance employee engagement in sustainability.

Planet
- 58% of facilities met goal of zero landfill manufacturing waste.
- 15% annual improvement in energy efficiency, which resulted in enough energy savings to power more than 300,000 houses for one year.
- 12% annual improvement in tissue manufacturing water-use efficiency —  which saved enough water to flow over Niagara falls for over three hours.
- Set a goal of 50% reduction in wood-fiber use from natural forests by 2025.

Products
- 22% (approximately $4.6 billion) of the Company's net sales derived from environmentally innovative products.
- 1.5 million pounds — the weight equivalent of more than 400 midsize cars — of sterile medical wraps diverted from landfills.
- Andrex, K-C Professional Kleenex and K-C Professional Scott towel and tissue products introduced with bamboo and wheat straw fibers.