In a move designed to increase productivity and enhance worker performance, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga., USA, has unified its core categories of personal protective equipment (PPE) – apparel, gloves, and eyewear – under a refreshed and revitalized KleenGuard brand.

 

 

 

"We are taking our well-known and trusted safety products portfolio and making it even better by unifying our core categories under a revitalized brand that capitalizes on our expertise in nonwoven materials, design, body fit, and comfort," said Dave Matela, GM, Industrial Business, Kimberly-Clark Professional, North America. "We understand the tasks performed by workers who wear our products and have designed our offerings with knowledge about how bodies move, work, and stretch."

 

The revitalization effort seeks to shift the PPE focus beyond comfort and protection toward insight-driven, human-centric solutions that maximize productivity by enabling, rather than inhibiting worker performance.

 

To support this, Kimberly-Clark Professional has created a program called "The KleenGuard Challenge," which features endurance athletes undertaking rigorous fitness challenges in KleenGuard products. The program offers tools to help identify common signs of productivity loss and recommends solutions.

 

"Safety can never be compromised, yet PPE can often get in the way of productivity if it doesn't fit right or is uncomfortable," Matela said. "The KleenGuard brand delivers PPE that workers will want to wear, so they can do their jobs well and perform with distinction. We are proud to announce the revitalization of the brand and its extension into our core product areas – apparel, gloves, and eyewear."

 

Many of the KleenGuard brand offerings can be recycled through RightCycle by Kimberly-Clark Professional, the first large-scale recycling program for non-hazardous lab, cleanroom, and industrial waste. Since its launch in 2011, the program has diverted more than 660 tons of waste from landfills by turning used nitrile gloves, apparel, and eyewear into new consumer goods.

 

In March 2018, this groundbreaking program for recycling used PPE added protective eyewear, further helping customers reach their zero waste goals.

 

"It's a great addition to the program because eyewear can make up a significant portion of a facility's waste," Matela said. "Through The RightCycle Program, this waste can now be diverted from the landfill."  

 

More about The RightCycle Program is available online.