As most folks know we've been working for the past couple years to get Kimberly-Clark, makers of Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, and Viva, to commit to using more recycled and FSC certified content in their disposable paper products.

In an age of increased environmental concern we are seeing a parallel increase in corporate greenwashing efforts.  This week it was a relief to see Kimberly-Clark’s faux greenness outed in the Ethical Corporation magazine.  Here's an excerpt, you can read the full article or subscribe to their emails.

According to Dave Challis, Kimberly-Clark’s “sustainability manager” for Europe: “Working with the Carbon Trust is a perfect fit with our overall sustainability policies. We have long held objectives to reduce carbon emissions through our ‘Vision’ global environmental programme and this is an extension of that work. For Kimberly-Clark, exploring how the entire retail industry reaches a common measurement for carbon emissions is vital and we are delighted to be involved at this early stage.”

Sounds marvellous, doesn’t it? Is this the same Kimberly-Clark that has been widely condemned for its indiscriminate pillaging of the ancient North American Boreal Forest? According to environmentalists, Kimberly-Clark has gobbled wood from forests in Ontario for more than 70 years, driving massive clearcutting and environmental degradation.

The company stands accused of turning endangered forests in Ontario’s largest forest management unit – the Kenogami – into disposable products to be flushed down the drain or dumped into landfills. Without a break in this chain of forest destruction, wildlife such as the woodland caribou may disappear from the Kenogami altogether. Presumably one way for Kimberly-Clark to reduce its carbon footprint would be to stop this climate-busting practice with immediate effect.

In other news Kimberly-Clark's Cottonelle brand strikes out in a Grist magazine toilet paper review.  As they put it "While this one felt quite easy on the arse, some staffers reported feeling only guilt, as they suspected it wasn't so easy on the earth."  You can read the full article and compare some of the leading recycled toilet paper brands here.

- Lindsey