Kleenex®, one of the UK’s facial tissue brands, is removing the plastic opening on all its tissue boxes as part of a wider commitment to reduce plastic waste across its portfolio.
The plastic opening also referred to as the ‘collar’, which helps to dispense tissues one at a time, has been completely removed from all variants. Those products within the brand’s premium range, Kleenex® Balsam and Kleenex® Ultra Soft tissues, will see the collar replaced with a paper alternative. The change, forms part of the brand’s ‘Every Step Counts’ initiative, which aims to make recycling even easier for customers and has been developed to ensure it does not compromise on the overall product experience or quality.
The packaging started to appear on supermarket shelves earlier this year and will roll out across the full portfolio by August 2020. A change which is removing 82 tonnes of plastic per year from the supply chain, that’s the equivalent weight of around 8 million 500ml plastic bottles. In addition to this, Kleenex® is a member of WRAP UK’s Plastic Pact initiative, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced by companies.
Ori Ben Shai, Vice President & Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark UK, said: “At Kleenex, we are taking active steps to improve our environmental footprint through our products and processes. The launch of our new packaging is another step in our plan to reduce plastic waste and take better care of our planet. We are making it easier for customers to recycle and look forward to them joining us on this journey.”
The announcement is the latest step in the brand’s sustainability journey. Kleenex® is committed to reducing plastic, water, carbon, and waste throughout its manufacturing process through several pledges.
