Kimberly-Clark Honored With Practice Greenhealth 2013 Champion for Change Award

Kimberly-Clark announces that it has been named a winner of the Practice Greenhealth 2013 Champion for Change awards, recognizing the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability accomplishments in support of people, the planet and products. 

Kimberly-Clark's Blue ReNew Sterilization Wrap recycling program has reached hospitals throughout the United States and Canada, bringing another life to this resource.  The program helps hospitals organize the process of recycling their wrap used to maintain sterility of surgical instruments into five achievable stages and can be customized to meet the specific needs of each facility.  Ten percent of United States hospitals have initiated a Blue ReNew recycling program.

Kimberly-Clark also helps customers achieve exceptional patient outcomes by helping to prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections (HAIs), which account for nearly 100,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. The company offers products, timely and relevant education and facilities information sharing through resources and training for clinicians, healthcare organizations and patients. 

"Kimberly-Clark's sustainability commitment starts with the patients the people we serve and extends to the planet we protect.  The products we innovate are designed to create healthier solutions with this promise in mind," says Joanne Bauer, president of Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "We believe in maintaining that careful balance to enable continued resources for future generations.  We have taken this pledge further year after year and are honored to be recognized for our efforts with the Champion for Change award."

The Champion for Change award is reserved for organizational partners supplying health care products and services that are considerate of Earth and its resources. As a winner of this award, Kimberly-Clark has achieved success in greening its own organization and has also assisted others who are committed to improving their environmental performance. As evidenced in a recent Health Care Research Collaborative study, "Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?" introducing environmental sustainability measures in hospitals not only results in significant savings, it prevents an increase in operating costs. Kimberly-Clark helps hospitals looking to make a positive impact on their bottom line make a positive impact on the environment.

"The Champion for Change award honors organizations that demonstrate leadership in reducing their environmental footprint," says Laura Wenger, RN, executive director of Practice Greenhealth. "Kimberly-Clark has extended their commitment beyond their internal practices to their clients and community to make even more of an impact."

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Boston at the CleanMed Conference & Exposition, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.