ROSWELL, Ga — Late last week, Kimberly-Clark Professional announced it had received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification for a broad range of tissue and towel products, making it the first "away-from-home" tissue products provider in North America to receive this distinction.

"FSC standards are globally recognized as the highest social and environmental standards in forestry," said Richard Thorne, vice president of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. "This certification enables us to support forest stewardship as well as continue to provide a wide range of sustainable product choices for our customers."

The certification applies to a variety of Kimberly-Clark Professional tissue products marketed under the Kleenex and Scott brand names for the away-from-home market. The products will feature the FSC label on their packaging starting in September 2009. The label certifies that the wood fiber used to make the products comes from well-managed FSC-certified forests or from post-consumer recycled fiber. FSC chain of custody procedures provide a link between the forest where the fiber originated and the product into which it is manufactured. Possession and transfer of wood fiber from the FSC-certified forest are tracked through every stage of manufacture.

"Kimberly-Clark is the first tissue company in North America to seek and obtain FSC chain-of-custody certification," said Corey Brinkema, President, FSC-US.  "FSC and Kimberly-Clark share the belief that FSC-certified primary wood fiber and recycled fiber can both be used in ways that are environmentally and socially responsible, while providing the product performance that customers expect from these well-known brands. Today's announcement demonstrates Kimberly-Clark's commitment to the responsible use of wood fiber and reflects its industry-leading practices in this area."

FSC is an international, independent organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests. It was founded in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a trustworthy wood-labeling system. FSC has developed a system of forest certification and product labeling that allows consumers to identify wood and wood-based products from well-managed forests that meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. FSC is also the only forest certification system supported by such major environmental groups as Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, and National Wildlife Federation.
   
"Kimberly-Clark Professional prides itself on our balanced approach to the environment," said Thorne.  "We have long been leaders in providing high-performance, environmentally responsible, source-reduced products. The FSC certification is a major initiative, taking us to the next stage in our efforts to achieve the highest levels of environmental responsibility."

In addition to its FSC-certified products, Kimberly-Clark Professional uses FSC-certified paper for its catalogs, brochures and other printed materials.  All catalogs and many other printed materials are also available online, which helps reduce the number of paper copies.

For more information, visit www.kcprofessional.com.

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