Irving-based Kimberly-Clark Corporation ranks No. 9 on EPA’s Fortune 500 Green Power List

by PegNews wire

LAS COLINAS — Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced today that for the first time it appears on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) National Top 50 List of the largest green power users.

Photo not provided by Kimberly-Clark

The firm's top customers were overjoyed by the news

Kimberly-Clark's Everett, Wash. facility uses an innovative process to utilize waste from the facility's pulp manufacturing process to generate over 220 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy annually. This on-site generation of green power equals over 7 percent of Kimberly Clark's purchased electricity use in the United States.

Today the EPA updated each of its National Top Partner lists, highlighting some of America's largest green power purchasers and users. Kimberly-Clark Corporation currently ranks No. 15 on EPA's National Top 50 List of America's largest green power users. EPA updates its Top Partner Lists quarterly here.

EPA is challenging Fortune 500 Corporations to collectively exceed 10 billion kilowatt-hours of green power use by the end of 2009. Kimberly-Clark Corporation's use ranks No. 9 among participating Fortune 500 corporations.

"Inclusion on the EPA list of the nation's top green power users is a welcome recognition of Kimberly-Clark's strong environmental commitment and of our company's support for the development of renewable energy," said Drew Barfoot, Kimberly-Clark's Vice President of Environment, Energy, Safety Quality and Sustainability. "Green power has proven to be a sound, sustainable business decision for Kimberly-Clark."

Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. These resources generate electricity with a net zero increase in carbon dioxide emissions, while offering a superior environmental profile compared to traditional power generation sources.

"America is shifting to a 'green culture,' with more and more businesses taking important steps to combat climate change," said Kathleen Hogan, Director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the EPA. "EPA commends Kimberly-Clark Corporation for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by producing on-site green power."

Source: Kimberly-Clark Corporation

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Teresa Gubbins, says:

oh this is rich. talk about spin, given the fact that they're <a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/14/activists-stage-protest-kimberly-clark-building-do/">better known</a> as the company that's clear-cutting virgin forests.

guess they're trying to salvage their reputation after the <a href="http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/1704.html">2005 report</a> done by Greenpeace which points out that Kimberly-Clark sources its fiber from ancient forests in Canada...

and the National Resources Defense Council <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/041118b.asp">backgrounder</a> that showed that less than 20% of the fiber used by Kimberly-Clark comes from recycled sources...

and the fact that World Wildlife Fund Int'l gave Kimberly-Clark <a href="http://kleercut.net/en/node/645">the lowest rank</a> amongst the five largest tissue manufacturers in Europe "in the areas of responsible fiber sourcing, recycling and efficient use of fiber, and clean production"

environmentalists are still <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/kimberly-clark-can-t-hide-envi">urging</a> the company to change its ways, and encourage consumers to avoid their products which include Scott, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Huggies, and Depends.

fortunately, most supermarkets now offer toilet paper and paper towels made from 100% recycled paper products such as <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Recycled-Toilet-Paper">Seventh Generation</a>