Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga., USA, this week announced the launch of GreenHarvest products, a cutting edge offering that incorporates rapidly renewable plant-based fiber, such as wheat straw and bamboo, into Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.

  

Kimberly-Clark Professional is the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to introduce products made with 20% plant fiber in place of tree fiber or recycled fiber. These innovative products required the development of an entirely new supply chain to directly obtain wheat straw from U.S. farmers and the creation of a first-of-its-kind manufacturing process for converting plant fiber into pulp.

"In a resource-constrained, digital world, with fewer sources of recycled fiber, and the need to put less pressure on natural forests, it's important to continue exploring non-tree fibers,"  said Iris V. Schumacher, North American Sustainability leader, Kimberly-Clark Professional. "With the GreenHarvest line, Kimberly-Clark is pioneering a new approach to sustainable fiber sourcing and delivering innovative products with the quality and performance customers expect from our trusted brands."

GreenHarvest offerings include Kleenex hard roll towel and Kleenex Cottonelle coreless standard roll bathroom tissue made with 20% bamboo fiber, and Scott multi-fold towels, standard roll bathroom tissue, coreless JRT Jr. bathroom tissue, and coreless standard roll bathroom tissue made with 20% wheat straw fiber.

Bamboo and wheat straw meet the U.S. Green Building Council's definition of rapidly renewable materials because they can regenerate in less than 10 years. These fibers have shorter harvesting cycles, which reduces the amount of land needed to support demand and takes advantage of abundant plant sources.

 

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and some species can grow at rates of more than three feet per day. Wheat straw is the residue that remains after wheat is harvested. More than 45 million tons of this agricultural byproduct is generated in the U.S. every year, with relatively few beneficial uses. Incorporating these fiber "leftovers" into towel and tissue products helps reduce farmland waste and provides additional income to farmers, by enhancing the value of their crops.

"By creating a new, beneficial use for wheat straw, Kimberly-Clark Professional is providing an economic boost for farmers, adding value to our state's largest crop and helping us reduce agricultural waste," said Aaron Harries, VP of research and operations, Kansas Wheat Commission. "It's a win-win-win solution for farmers, the economy and the environment."

In 2012, Kimberly-Clark Professional became the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to pilot the use of products containing non-tree fiber. GreenHarvest products are the "next-generation" of these products, an initiative recognized by leading environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs).

More information about GreenHarvest products and other Kimberly-Clark Professional sustainability initiatives is available online.