Kimberly-Clark Professional donates $10,000 to Nature Conservancy

July 25, 2011

Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga., has made a $10,000 donation to the Nature Conservancy to support sustainable forest management in Canada's boreal forest in honor of one of its customers—Marriott Intl.

Marriott provided the most support for Forest Stewardship Council-certified (FSC-certified) products from Kimberly-Clark Professional in 2010, the first full year that these products were available. The FSC-certified products purchased by Marriott for its hotels throughout North America include Kleenex® Naturals facial tissue, Kleenex Cottonelle bath tissue, and Kleenex and Scott brand towels. FSC certification guarantees that the products are produced with wood fiber that comes from well-managed, FSC-certified forests; postconsumer recycled material; or other controlled sources.

This donation to the Nature Conservancy on behalf of Marriott Intl. marks the first annual award by Kimberly-Clark Professional to encourage the purchase of these products. "Businesses and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits to people and the environment when they purchase FSC-certified towel and tissue products," said Kevin McVeigh, associate marketing director, sustainability. "In the past, the FSC label was primarily associated with printing paper and wood products. The success of our FSC-certified towel and tissue offerings shows how much consumption of FSC-certified products has changed in a short period of time."

"At Marriott Intl., we are committed to demonstrating that responsible hospitality management can be a positive force for the environment," said Stephane C. Masson, vice president, global procurement. "We are also dedicated to protecting endangered forests, having made a $2 million contribution to help protect 1.4 million acres in Brazil. Purchasing more FSC-certified products is another way for us to achieve this goal, and we are delighted that this will also help support the Nature Conservancy's efforts to protect the Canadian boreal forest."

In August 2009 Kimberly-Clark Professional became the first away-from-home tissue products company in North America to receive FSC chain-of-custody certification for a broad range of tissue and towel products.