Pressure mounts on Kleenex manufacturer to destruction of Canada’s Boreal Forest
Greenpeace announced today that more than 650 businesses in North America and from around the world are refusing to use tissue products manufactured by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation and made from ancient forests. The businesses, which were featured in an ad in the New York Times today, are calling on the company to use more recycled fiber and pulp from sustainable logging operations in its products including Kleenex brand facial tissue. The company is causing the destruction of North America’s largest ancient forest, the Boreal, which is home to endangered species and is essential in combating global warming pollution.
“By refusing to financially support Kimberly-Clark’s destruction of ancient forests, these Forest Friendly businesses have taken a stand for forest protection,” said Richard Brooks, a forest campaigner with Greenpeace. “The market is speaking and Kimberly-Clark is losing customers because of its practice of wiping away ancient forests.”
In a recent Leger Marketing consumer survey1, 86% of Canadians and 84% of Americans said that they would switch to tissue products made with recycled paper and if even pay more if this meant that ancient forests were not harmed. Increasingly, consumers believe that they have a responsibility to use their purchasing power to effect positive environmental change. Further, 71% of Canadian consumers and 66% of U.S. consumers say they are less likely to purchase from companies who cut down trees from ancient forests to make their tissue products.
“In our business we use a lot of paper towels, napkins and other tissue products and we feel it is important that these products don't cause the destruction of ancient forests like the Boreal," said XXX with Sticky Fingers Bakery, featured in the ad and a Forest Friendly Business. "That's why we're not using any products made by Kimberly-Clark. We won't support the destruction of ancient forests."
Kimberly-Clark, the world’s largest manufacturer of tissue products, used over 3.1 million metric tonnes (3.4 million tons) of pulp from forests in 2005, an increase of over 23% from 2003. Much of this pulp comes from clearcut ancient forests including the great northern Boreal forest, the largest intact forest left in North America. Less than 19% of the fiber used for Kimberly-Clark’s North American tissue products comes from recycled sources.
Kimberly-Clark manufactures toilet paper, facial tissue, napkins, and towels for both the consumer and commercial sectors under various brand names including Kleenex, Kleenex Professional, Viva, Surpass, Scott and Cottonelle2.
To view the full list of Forest Friendly Businesses, please go to www.forestfriendly500.org
For more information contact:
B-roll, high resolution photos available.
Richard Brooks, Greenpeace forest campaigner, 416-573-7209 (cell)
Delphine Grenon, Greenpeace communications, 514-212-5749 (cell)
Note to editors:
1 - Leger Marketing Survey, April 2006. Contact Greenpeace for full survey results.
2 - Scott and Cotonnelle tissue products sold in Canada are manufactured by Scott Paper under license to Kimberly-Clark.
