{"id":4796,"date":"2009-08-10T14:59:42","date_gmt":"2009-08-10T20:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=4796"},"modified":"2009-08-10T14:59:42","modified_gmt":"2009-08-10T20:59:42","slug":"greenpeace-and-kimberly-clark-accused-of-greenwashing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/greenpeace-and-kimberly-clark-accused-of-greenwashing\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace and Kimberly-Clark Accused of Greenwashing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Greenpeace<\/a><\/p>\n

[social_buttons]<\/p>\n

Last week Greenpeace said it was okay to buy Kimberly-Clark (K-C) products again so I loaded up my shopping cart with Kleenex, Scott paper towels and Cottonelle toilet paper.\u00a0 After years of fighting, Greenpeace and K-C finally reached an agreement<\/a>.\u00a0 The corporation will begin sourcing fiber responsibly, and the NGO will end its Kleercut campaign.\u00a0 It seems pretty cut-and-dry to me.\u00a0 Or is it?<\/p>\n

Sites such as Treehugger.com<\/a> and Grist.org<\/a> applauded the agreement.\u00a0 Even the environmental organization, ForestEthics<\/a> told Grist that K-C’s new sourcing policy \u201cis among the strongest in the world … truly impressive.\u00a0 ForestEthics congratulates Greenpeace and allies for a campaign well run.”\u00a0 Wow, I’m getting all teary-eyed just reading the accolades.\u00a0 I think I need a Kleenex.\u00a0 So why are some folks crying foul?<\/p>\n

Not everyone was so eager to join the love-fest.\u00a0 It appears some are not happy with K-C’s 2011 goal of ensuring 40% of their fiber will be either recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified with the intention of reaching 100%…some day.\u00a0 They didn’t give a time-line for this lofty aspiration.<\/p>\n

One of the critics is Marcal Paper<\/a>‘s CEO, Tim Spring.\u00a0 He said in a press release that he was “deeply disappointed” by Greenpeace’s decision to end the Kleercut campaign,<\/p>\n

“Since when is 40 percent a passing grade?\u00a0 While I understand the negotiating process, Greenpeace needs to rethink these standards. There is no excuse to make paper from anything but 100 percent recycled fiber, especially when you consider that paper takes up a quarter of our landfill space today.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Okay…well, Marcel Paper is a K-C competitor.\u00a0 I understand this may be a good opportunity to promote their 100% recycled paper products and their brand.\u00a0 As a former communications professional, I get it.<\/p>\n

Forests.org, however, has launched a full-on campaign against Greenpeace<\/a> on their website.\u00a0 They want me to send Greenpeace a scathing email demanding that they “cease and desist” their collaboration with K-C.\u00a0 They slam the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and accuse Greenpeace of “greenwashing”.\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 Greenpeace?\u00a0 Aren’t these the guys (and gals) who chain themselves to trees and harass big whaling ships in tiny rowboats?\u00a0 I don’t get it.<\/p>\n

I think there’s a danger in warring environmental organizations.\u00a0 First, you get more accomplished with a united front.\u00a0 Have you heard the saying, “divided they will fall”?\u00a0 Second, the average consumer won’t know who to trust.\u00a0 Where’s the credibility?\u00a0 Playing tug-o-war with a consumer’s conscience may backfire.\u00a0 In our fast-paced, sound-bite culture, consumers may throw up their hands and give up on the “green” movement.<\/p>\n

Yes, yes…I understand the desire to have K-C use only 100% recycled paper in their products.\u00a0 I too don’t mind wiping my behind with post-consumer fiber, but the change is not going to happen over night.\u00a0 I believe it is na\u00efve to think you can get a multinational to restructure its entire supply chain in the blink of an eye.\u00a0 Sorry.\u00a0 We aren’t living in an episode of I Dream of Genie<\/em>.\u00a0 It doesn’t work that way in business especially if the business has been around since the late 1800’s.<\/p>\n

I applaud Greenpeace’s collaborative strategy and long term vision.\u00a0 We need to support K-C’s efforts but at the same time hold them accountable to their publicly stated goals.\u00a0 K-C is dipping their toe into sustainable sourcing to see what the water is like.\u00a0 We can turn up the heat and scare them away, or we can keep the temperature warm and inviting so they jump in with both feet.\u00a0 In the end, it is our choice as aware consumers.<\/p>\n

Image Courtesy Greenpeace<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[social_buttons] Last week Greenpeace said it was okay to buy Kimberly-Clark (K-C) products again so I loaded up my shopping cart with Kleenex, Scott paper towels and Cottonelle toilet paper.\u00a0 [ … ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":4795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[50,2444,1723,83,2761,3749,3752],"yoast_head":"\nGreenpeace and Kimberly-Clark Accused of Greenwashing • Sustainablog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/greenpeace-and-kimberly-clark-accused-of-greenwashing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Greenpeace and Kimberly-Clark Accused of Greenwashing • Sustainablog\" 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