Kimberly-Clark Australia

OVERALL
Owned	USA
Rating

Personal paper products

In 2019 they closed down its Sydney manufacturing site with production moved to Asia. They still operate a manufacturing site in South Australia.

Company Ownership

Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd	AUS	website	email	facebook	twitter
Kimberly-Clark Corporation       owns 100% of Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd	USA	website		facebook	twitter
Personal paper products World's #1 maker of personal paper products. A five year boycott call by Greenpeace ended in 2009 when Kimberly-Clark released a new environmental policy.

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Company Assessment

PRAISE	CRITICISM	INFORMATION
Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd
Australian Packaging Covenant signatory Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation. [Source 2017][More on Packaging]		2015 CHOICE Shonky Award Named and shamed in the 2015 CHOICE Shonky Awards for claims its kids' flushable wipes disintegrate "like toilet paper", which would be great ... except they don't. Wipe-related damage to Australian water services is estimated at $15 million and growing. [Source 2015][More on Irresponsible Marketing] 2013 CHOICE Shonky Award Named and shamed in the 2013 CHOICE Shonky Awards for shrinking its Kleenex Mansize tissues by almost 14%, while trying to reassure us that they're still "big, strong two-ply tissues you love, just in a smaller box". Yet the wording is clever: we're not getting the same big, strong tissues we love – just big strong tissues in general. [Source 2013][More on Irresponsible Marketing] Partnership with WWF This company worked with WWF from 2011 to 2018 to source the timber-based fibre used to make its tissue and towel products from forests that have been certified as sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC label tells consumers that a timber or paper product is from a well-managed forest. This work was carried out through WWF's Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), which Kimberly-Clark Australia-NZ joined in 2010. [Source 2018][More on Forests] FSC Supplier of the Year Award 2013 This company won the 2013 FSC Supplier of the Year Award from the Forest Stewardship Council Australia Excellence Awards. These awards reward organisations that exemplify the spirit and intent of the FSC system through their management practices, contribution and promotion of FSC Certification and products. [Source 2013][More on Forests] Banksia Sustainability Award 2013/4 This company won a Banksia Sustainability Award in 2013 and 2014 for demonstrating leadership through fully integrating sustainable principles and practices into operational activities, reducing the organisations' footprint and influencing and educating suppliers and customers. [Source 2014][More on Governance] Previous GFTN participant This company became a participant in the Australian chapter of the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) in 2010. The Global Forest and Trade Network seeks to mainstream the principles of responsible forest management and sustainable trade throughout the global forest products industry, by providing technical assistance and fostering linkages between committed companies. Independent forest certification is a key tool in this process. [Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives] Sustainability claims This company has a number of sustainability claims on its website including a stated commitment to reducing the impact of their environmental footprint, and an outline of their Sustainability 2015 Goals. [Source 2014][More on Sustainability Reporting]
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Commitment to zero deforestation 4/5 The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soya, beef, leather, timber, and pulp and paper). This company received a score of 4/5. [Source 2018][More on Forests]	38.9% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017 This company received a score of 38.9/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor. [Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting] Conflict minerals rating As You Sow's 2018 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 206 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was above 40% (Minimal). [Source 2018][More on Human Rights]	Commitment to responsible forestry In June 2011 Kimberly-Clark and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced the expansion of Kimberly-Clark's membership in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and conserve the world's most valuable and threatened forests. Kimberly-Clark will now include its worldwide operations in the initiative, building on its existing GFTN membership in select countries. The participation scope now includes all wood fibres sourced for all of the company's products sold globally in the Personal Care, Consumer Tissue and Kimberly-Clark Professional businesses. [Source 2011][More on Forests] GFTN participant This company is a participant in WWF's Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), which seeks to mainstream the principles of responsible forest management and sustainable trade throughout the global forest products industry, by providing technical assistance and fostering linkages between committed companies. Independent forest certification is a key tool in this process. [Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives] How2Recycle member This company is a member of How2Recycle. The How2Recycle Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. It involves a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels. Companies must be a member of the program to use the How2Recycle Label. [Source 2017][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives] Sustainability claims This company has a number of sustainability claims on its website built around the pillars of People, Planet, and Products. [Source 2016][More on Sustainability Reporting] Sustainable Brands member This company is a Silver Member of the Sustainable Brands Network, the leading peer to peer, learning and networking group designed to support brands in meeting their sustainability goals and ultimately become those leaders of the next sustainable economy. [Source 2018][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives] Previous boycott call Greenpeace's 'Kleercut' campaign against Kimberly-Clark began in 2004 and called for a boycott of the company for using pulp from clearcut ancient forests, including North America's Boreal forest. The boycott ended in 2009 when the company announced its Global Fibre Procurement Policy, highlights of which include: 1. Not use any fibre from the world's most ecologically sensitive forests areas, 2. Buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified fibre over any other virgin wood fibre, 3. Phase out its use of all pulp from Canada's Boreal Forest that is not FSC certified by 2012, 4. Increase its use of FSC and recycled fibre drastically over the next two years , 5. Buy post-consumer recycled fibre over pre-consumer recycled fibre, 6. Not use conflict wood or illegally harvest fibre. [Source 2009][More on Forests] Modern Slavery statement California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement. [Source 2016][More on Human Rights] Skin Deep hazard score (2-5) Skin Deep is an online safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products and their potential hazards and health concerns, with over 69,000 products rated from 1 (low hazard) to 10 (high hazard). [Source 2016][More on Product Safety] OpenSecrets.org profile OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more. [Source 2014]

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Choice Shonky Awards for 2015
7th Oct 2015 — THE nation`s leading consumer group Choice has asked the ACCC to investigate Kleenex, Arnott`s, Ikea and the maker of laundry balls which supposedly use infra-red rays to clean but are less effective than water.

The four referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission were today named among the biggest losers from more than 400 nominations in the tenth annual Choice `Shonky` product awards.

Kleenex was bestowed the `Gold Shonky` for its flushable cleanings cloths for kids, which were promoted as disintegrating like toilet paper ... but don`t.

`It`s very concerning, that one in particular,` ACCC deputy chairwoman and head of product safety Delia Rickard told News Corp Australia after watching a video of a Choice test in which the wipes failed to disintegrate after 20 hours of simulated flushing.

The maker of Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark Australia, said its products met global guidelines for `flushability`. However, the company recommended no more than two wipes be flushed at any one time.

`We are aware of some localised concerns from some regional water authorities and we, along with other makers of wipes products, have been proactively engaging with the Water Services Association of Australia,` a Kimberly-Clark spokeswoman said.

`It is clear business still needs to sharpen up its act,` said Choice CEO Alan Kirkland. `We hope the Shonkys encourage consumers to look critically at the goods and services they use, question poor service, hidden costs and the fine print beneath claims that seem too good to be true.`  [source]