Kimberly-Clark Highlights Progress in 10th Annual Sustainability Report

News provided by

Jun 13, 2013, 03:50 ET

DALLAS, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) has published its annual report on sustainability, a comprehensive overview of the Company's progress against its sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts within its People, Planet and Products pillars.

"Kimberly-Clark has delivered products that are essential for a better life for more than 140 years now. This year's Sustainability Report shows that we are continuing to advance in areas such as product innovation, reduction of environmental footprint within our operations and responsible sourcing of raw materials, while at the same time enhancing workplace safety and fair labor practices," said Tom Falk, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark.

"We will continue to apply passion and ingenuity to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with a spirit of good stewardship," Falk said. "We are working with the same dedication to quality, service and fairness established by our founders. Our dedication to those values and long-term sustainability has never changed."

Kimberly-Clark's ongoing sustainability efforts have been recognized globally, appearing for the 10th straight year on the "FTSE4Good Index" for corporate responsibility and recently repeating its designation among Ethisphere magazine's "World's Most Ethical Companies."

This year's report highlights the Company's progress towards its multi-year Sustainability 2015 goals. Built around the pillars of People, Planet and Products, the goals integrate social, environmental and economic elements into the Company's broader agenda. Some select 2012 actions taken to sustain healthy working environments and communities are:

People

8 K-C mill sites attained 1 million labor hours worked safely without a reportable incident.
$33 million in cash and product donations for disaster relief and community support.
13,000 employees enrolled in Small Steps — a program designed to enhance employee engagement in sustainability.

Planet

58% of facilities met goal of zero landfill manufacturing waste.
15% annual improvement in energy efficiency, which resulted in enough energy savings to power more than 300,000 houses for one year.
12% annual improvement in tissue manufacturing water-use efficiency — which saved enough water to flow over Niagara falls for over three hours.
Set a goal of 50% reduction in wood-fiber use from natural forests by 2025.

Products

22% (approximately $4.6 billion) of the Company's net sales derived from environmentally innovative products.
1.5 million pounds — the weight equivalent of more than 400 midsize cars — of sterile medical wraps diverted from landfills.
Andrex, K-C Professional Kleenex and K-C Professional Scott towel and tissue products introduced with bamboo and wheat straw fibers.

"As we continue to make progress toward our Sustainability 2015 goals, we are also looking at global trends further into the future," said Lisa Morden, senior director of global sustainability for Kimberly-Clark. "Even now, we are defining our next-generation sustainability goals and strategies to ensure the long-term resilience of our businesses, while continuing to focus in driving meaningful progress today."

Read Kimberly-Clark's entire 2012 Sustainability Report online at http://www.sustainabilityreport2012.kimberly-clark.com/. You're invited to join the conversation; tell us what you think by writing to [email protected].

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 141-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

[KMB-C]

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110928/DA76879LOGO)

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation