Kimberly-Clark Professional today announced a major step forward in the company's sustainability efforts through the expanded independent, third-party certification of Kimberly-Clark Professional products by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and EcoLogo.

FSC chain-of-custody certification has been expanded to the broad majority of Kimberly-Clark Professional tissue and towel products. FSC is an international, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests through third-party forest certification and product labeling, which ensures that forest products come from sources that are managed with consideration for people, wildlife and the environment.

"We are very pleased to be expanding FSC's reach with Kimberly-Clark Professional, and its procurement goals are demonstrably improving forest management in North America and around the world," says Corey Brinkema, president, FSC-US. "The sustainability initiatives already undertaken by Kimberly-Clark Professional are remarkable and the progression of the company's commitment to conserving our natural forest ecosystems will only deepen that impact."

Kimberly-Clark Professional also announced today that it now offers a broad range of EcoLogo certified Kleenex and Scott branded towel and tissue products. The EcoLogo program is one of North America's most respected environmental leadership certification programs. To earn the EcoLogo mark, tissue products must demonstrate significantly reduced environmental impact among five key lifecycle based criteria: resource consumption, energy consumption, wastewater quality, aquatic toxicity and solid waste.

"Kimberly-Clark Professional has a solid reputation for delivering quality products designed with sustainability in mind," adds Angela Griffiths, executive director, EcoLogo program. "We are proud to recognize the company's progress in reducing environmental impact throughout their products' lifecycles with our EcoLogo mark."

"Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow is grounded in our belief that the way we use resources today shapes the world of tomorrow," says Howard Connell, global sustainability leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Expanding our portfolio of FSC certified products and adding EcoLogo certification are important steps forward in our sustainability efforts, and we look forward to continuing to lead the industry in providing products from responsibly managed forests."

For a complete listing of FSC and EcoLogo certified products, view the Hand Hygiene & Tissue catalog at www.kcprofessional.com.