- Kleenex® is removing the plastic opening on all its tissue boxes
- The new packaging is removing 82 tonnes of plastic over the next 12 months alone
- The change is another step in Kimberly-Clark’s wider sustainability ambition to reduce plastic waste and make recycling even easier for its customers
Kleenex®, the UK’s number one facial tissue brand[1], is removing the plastic opening on all its tissue boxes as part of a wider commitment to reduce plastic waste across its portfolio.
The plastic opening also referred to as the ‘collar’, which helps to dispense tissues one at a time, has been completely removed from all variants. Those products within the brand’s premium range, Kleenex® Balsam and Kleenex® Ultra Soft tissues, will see the collar replaced with a paper alternative. The change, forms part of the brand’s ‘Every Step Counts’ initiative, which aims to make recycling even easier for customers and has been developed to ensure it does not compromise on the overall product experience or quality.
The packaging started to appear on supermarket shelves earlier this year and will roll out across the full portfolio by August 2020. A change which is removing 82 tonnes of plastic?per year from the supply chain[2], that’s the equivalent weight of?around 8 million 500ml plastic?bottles. In addition to this, Kleenex® is a member of WRAP UK’s Plastic Pact initiative, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced by companies.
Ori Ben Shai, Vice President & Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark UK, said: “At Kleenex, we are taking active steps to improve our environmental footprint through our products and processes. The launch of our new packaging is another step in our plan to reduce plastic waste and take better care of our planet. We are making it easier for customers to recycle and look forward to them joining us on this journey.”
The announcement is the latest step in the brand’s sustainability journey. Kleenex® is committed to reducing plastic, water, carbon, and waste throughout its manufacturing process through several pledges:
- Plastic Reduction: Reduce the use of Virgin Plastic by 50% by 2025
- Zero Waste: Since 2013, Kleenex® UK factories have sent zero waste to landfill
- Lower Emissions: Kleenex® UK factories have reduced carbon emissions by 31.5% since 2005 and are committed to reducing this further
- Less Water: Since 2005, it has reduced water use in production by 23.8%. For context, that is enough to fill 425 Olympic size swimming pools
For further information about the new Kleenex® sustainability announcements, visit (https://www.kleenex.co.uk/sustainability/)
[1] Based on Nielsen ePOS data for last 52 weeks w/e 6th June 2020
[2] Based on total Kleenex® boxes sold in the UK in 2019
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