Our Commitment to Sustainability

As our Kleenex^® Brand tissues have not been designed or tested for flushability, please dispose of our products in the trash. Cottonelle^® Flushable Wipes can be flushed, they are are designed to safely break down in home septic systems and will not affect the normal bacterial activity in a septic system.

Selected tree species, including spruce, fir, aspen, maple and eucalyptus contain thin wood fibers which contribute to the desirable characteristics of softness, absorbency and strength in Kleenex^® Tissue.

Our cartons are fully recyclable with the poly insert attached. They are accepted at recycling facilities across the country.

High-quality Kleenex^® Tissue requires high-quality cellulose fibers. Pulp is purchased from a number of different sources. Kimberly-Clark does not own any forestlands but requires that all fiber purchased for our pulp mills come from sustainably managed forests. Select wood is either transported to the pulp mill in the form of chips from lumber processing or as logs. The logs are then washed, debarked and cut into small, uniform chips, while individual cellulose fibers are separated by "cooking" the wood. The pulp is then processed for manufacture into the final product.

Kleenex^® Tissue is made with biodegradable cellulose fibers. Because the tissue is made with an additive to make it strong, it will not break down as rapidly as bathroom tissue. Therefore, we suggest you discard Kleenex^® Tissue in the trash.

Kimberly-Clark has long recognized the importance of corporate responsibility and integrated the concept of sustainability in our business practices. We published our first annual sustainability report in 2004, and the reports can be reviewed at www.kimberly-clark.com. From raw materials, our manufacturing processes, even our supply chain, we're building sustainability into every facet of how we work. This includes selecting suppliers that operate in a sustainable manner. To that end, we work hard to assure that the wood fiber we purchase comes only from well-managed forestlands or from recycled sources. Learn more about our sustainability efforts

At Kimberly-Clark, we take concern for the environment and conservation of natural resources seriously. In 2009, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation donated $400,000 to environmental causes and $550,000 over the last three years to Conservation International (CI) for a biodiversity conservation project. The project will have environmental benefits for the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, a major global pulp-producing region that provides 30 percent of our fiber. Learn more about our conservation efforts.

Kleenex^® Brand Hand Towels offer a hygienic option for our consumers by providing an alternative to traditional cloth bathroom hand towels. KLEENEX^® Hand Towels-- a clean, fresh towel every time™.

Package recycling varies across the different materials used. Cartons can go in curbside recycling along with paper. The small plastic window can be kept on carton, they are removed during the paper recycling process. Multipack bundle poly film and Go*pack film can be added to ‘Store Drop Off’ collection with other packaging poly films. For store location: https://how2recycle.info/ On-the-go* Slim pack wallet and Go-anywhere* pack cannot be recycled. Wipes package film cannot be recycled due to film properties needed for moisture retention, but the polypropylene (#5) flip top lids can be removed from package and be added to curbside recycling where #5 is collected. Learn more about Kimberly-Clark's sustainability efforts

Kimberly-Clark has one of the most progressive fiber procurement policies in the tissue industry. We support forestry practices that help conserve valuable forestlands, respect fundamental human rights, and ensure both a thriving ecosystem and a sustainable source of wood fiber for the future.

Kleenex^® products are Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) certified. The FSC label is the world’s most trusted mark for sustainable forestry. FSC^® ensures that all materials come from responsibly managed forests. In 2011, we became the first U.S. tissue maker to offer FSC^® consumer tissue products.

Learn more about FSC efforts here.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the KLEENEX^® Brand set ambitious Sustainability 2030 program objectives focused around social impact, forest & fiber, waste & recycling, energy & climate and plastics all in service of creating a better future for the communities we serve. Learn more about our sustainability initiative.