Business News

Kimberly-Clark Wins U.S. EPA SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award

Wednesday 08. October 2008 - Award recipients reduce emissions while improving the environment and companies' bottom line

For the second year in a row, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) received an Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay(sm) Transportation Partnership for its leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Kimberly-Clark’s 2007 SmartWay action plan included investing in a strategy to locate distribution centers near large cities, implementing a new transportation management system and collaborating with internal and external supply chain partners. As a result, Kimberly-Clark reduced its usage of diesel fuel by 1.7 million gallons and decreased carbon dioxide emissions by 113,728 tons, which is the equivalent of removing over 15,000 cars from the road.

“We are very pleased to receive the SmartWay award,” said Steve Harmon, vice president of transportation for Kimberly-Clark.  “Not only are we operating more efficiently and effectively which is good for business, but we are doing our part to improve the environment.”

Kimberly-Clark was one of 27 companies and organizations from among the Partnership’s more than 1,000 Partners to receive this distinction. The awards were announced today at the annual conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals in Denver, Colorado.

SmartWay Transportation Partnership is a collaboration between the U.S. EPA and the freight sector designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, and improve energy security. Through the SmartWay Partnership, companies, including Kimberly-Clark, are conserving over 540 million gallons of diesel fuel per year, saving the trucking industry at least $2.3 billion in annual fuel and maintenance costs and eliminating over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming.
 
Kimberly-Clark recently received additional recognition for its overall sustainability accomplishments — ranking No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year in the personal products category of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.