Aerial images of Mt Gambier & district
Essential product manufacturer has diverted 100% of waste away from landfill at its sole production facility in Australia
Kimberly-Clark Australia (K-CA) one of South Australia’s leading manufacturers, has achieved zero waste at its Mill in Millicent, diverting 100% of waste away from landfill through reuse and recycling initiatives.
Known for its portfolio of leading personal care brands, including Kleenex, Huggies, U by Kotex and VIVA, the company produces 85,000 tonnes of toilet, facial and paper towel products at the Mill each year – and it’s achieved this milestone through several key initiatives:
-
All organic-based materials – including off-quality tissue boxes, loose cardboard, off-quality lotion-treated tissue, and cardboard cores – are responsibly managed offsite through composting practices.
-
Used fabrics and felts are offered to employees and the wider community for reuse, with any remaining material sent to Gambier Earth Movers for landscaping purposes.
-
In line with our premise of environmental stewardship, the Mill actively collects used batteries onsite, which are then bulked and recycled locally.
-
The Mill has initiated a program for collecting used plastic pails (made of HDPE) for the Eucalyptus element of key products, as well as damaged plastic pallets for our supply chain. These materials are transported to Sustainable Plastic Solutions in Hamilton, where they undergo cleaning and processing into chips for recycling.
-
Having reached 98% of waste reduction last year, K-CA recently partnered with Waste ResourceCo, which is now repurposing the final two per cent of waste into energy for its site in Adelaide.
Looking forward to the future, Kimberly-Clark has ambitious targets to drive efficiencies and reduce emissions further. Its state-of-the-art electricity cogeneration facility at Millicent Mill plays a critical role in energy efficiency, capable of generating 95% of electricity on-site – with the company now exploring the opportunity to use green hydrogen as an alternative energy source too.
Adam Carpenter, Mill Manager at Kimberly-Clark Australia, said:
“We’re thrilled about the strides made at Millicent Mill in achieving zero waste across our operations. Sustainability has always been a core value for us, and this accomplishment is not only significant for our team but also for the broader Australian manufacturing sector – as it demonstrates that this is possible.
“Moving forward, we remain committed to furthering our environmental efforts. Having surpassed our initial greenhouse gas reduction goal early in 2022, our current focus is on reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%, by 2030. As of 2023 we’ve achieved over 30% in reduction efforts, so we’re well on-track and actively exploring various avenues to drive this figure even lower in the years to come.
“Being based in South Australia, a region renowned for its leadership in climate action and electrical network decarbonisation, is advantageous. We’re capitalising on this by exploring electrification, direct access to renewable energy sources, and collaborative ventures in green hydrogen generation with industry and government partners to help meet our reduction targets.
“We take pride in our Australian manufacturing base, and we hope our efforts inspire others to prioritise sustainability and contribute to our collective goal of preserving our planet.”
More information about Kimberly-Clark Australia can be found here.
About Kimberly-Clark Australia
Globally Kimberly-Clark is a one of the largest manufacturers of essential hygiene products including iconic brands such as Kleenex, U by Kotex, Huggies, Poise, Depend and VIVA.
Kimberly-Clark Australia (KCA) has been operating since 1926 and employs approximately 800 people across Australia and New Zealand. The majority of our Australian workforce is employed at our paper manufacturing facility in Millicent, South Australia where we locally make Kleenex and Scott toilet and facial tissue, and VIVA and Scott paper towel products.
The Mill is the single largest employer in the South-East region of South Australia and in 2020 celebrated 60 years of production. Throughout this time environmental sustainability and reducing our footprint has always been a key focus for us.
Plants, seeds & more delivered to your door!
www.nativeshop.com.au
Advertisement
