November 26th, 2007
Points to Wal-Mart for having Kleenex Naturals on hand. The boxes are quite tasteful, though we wonder about the 20 percent recycled content, with so many others producing tissues composed of 100 percent recycled content. (Our 365 brand 100 percent recycled tissues come in very near the Naturals on our soft-o-meter.)
We were able to pick up some biodegradable paper plates made from corn and limestone (for the holidays) at Wal-Mart, so clearly the store is beginning to experiment with other environmentally advanced disposables.
We called Target and Wal-Mart to find out why they have so little shelf space for eco-friendly brands and when and what they’re planning on adding to the mix. Media spokespersons have not returned those calls.
A Lighter Paper Print
With its successful Compact Fluorescent Light bulb campaign underway and so much good press radiating from its green efforts, Wal-Mart could conclude that its customers would change their paper-buying habits to save a tree, or a bird. They’ve obviously been talking to Kimberly-Clark and are testing their new products.
Wal-Mart also has declared that they’re on the lookout for environmentally conscientious vendors, so they must know about Cascades and the other brands.
We can safely assume that Target also knows where matters stand. Their house brand of Kleenex is, after all, made by Kimberly-Clark.
Whether these relationships will help or hurt the progress of recycled goods in the United States, we can’t know. As the corporate world spins, it typically responds to consumers and shareholders. A concerned group of the latter have raised questions about these issues at the last two annual meetings for Kimberly-Clark investors, perhaps prompting the current test products.
Response from customers on those new recycled goods has been “limited” but positive, said Dickson. “I would say we’re pleased with the success of it at this point.”
Kimberly-Clark, despite the loss of those commercial customers who’ve withdrawn their contracts, remains highly profitable. Their 2007 third quarter net sales were up by nearly 10 percent, a record, and they’ll be rewarding shareholders with dividends. Greenpeace would like to see the company use some of those profits toward the research and development of more environmentally responsible goods.
“We want to see real measurable change and we want to see change happen in the correct time frame,’’ Brooks said. “We can’t wait 15 years, we need change now.”
Copyright © 2007 | Distributed by Noofangle Media
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