Category Archives: Environment

Kimberly-Clark to slash use of forest wood pulp

Consumer products maker Kimberly-Clark Corp., which has operations in Knoxville and Loudon, said Monday it would reduce by half the amount of wood fiber taken from natural forests to make its products.

The maker of Huggies diapers and Klennex tissues said its goal is to transition to at least 50 percent alternate fiber sources by 2025.

The company, which used nearly 750,000 metric tons of wood fiber in 2011, currently is test marketing tissue products which contain 20 percent bamboo in North America. The company is also test marketing tissue products made in part from wheat straw.

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Newell Rubbermaid wants to make you green

Newell Rubbermaid has finally solved one of the most vexing environmental problems of our time — how to properly dispose of old pens.

The Atlanta-based company with a manufacturing operation next door in Maryville, Tenn., has introduced a new line of biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils.

The Paper Mate Biodegradable writing insruments are “made with a majority of biodegradable components, which break down in soil/home compost in about a year,” according to a press release.

I can’t tell you how wonderful this makes me feel.

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