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Kleenex

Consumer Goods / Personal Care
Leif rating: Likely Fair

Part of Kimberly-Clark Corporation · Headquartered in United States

Kleenex, owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, uses FSC-certified forest fiber for its tissue products and has committed to becoming 100% Natural Forest Free beyond 2030, with plans to reduce plastic packaging by 50% and achieve carbon neutrality in certain operations by 2030. However, the company faced significant labor concerns, including a 2022 lawsuit from workers alleging that Kimberly-Clark knowingly profited from forced labor at Malaysian supplier Brightway Holdings, despite public reports and audits documenting labor violations. While the company maintains formal supplier codes of conduct and audit processes, critics have raised concerns about the adequacy of its enforcement and environmental standards, noting that some of its forestry certifications fall short of preventing forest degradation.

How Kleenex scores

Three pillars, scored independently. Higher is better.

What Kleenex does well

Controversies

Reported issues Leif found in public sources. Their presence lowers the rating.

The detail

Environment

Kimberly-Clark publishes an annual sustainability report disclosing environmental metrics including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and waste. According to the company's sustainability reporting, Kimberly-Clark has set targets to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and has disclosed some Scope 3 emissions data. The company has stated commitments to sourcing fiber from responsibly managed forests and reports participation in FSC and other certification programs for fiber sourcing. Kimberly-Clark has also disclosed targets related to reducing plastic in packaging and increasing use of recycled or renewable materials, though independent verification of progress varies by claim.

Labor

Kimberly-Clark publishes a Supplier Code of Conduct and discloses information about its supply chain expectations regarding labor standards, including prohibitions on child labor and forced labor. The company files a Modern Slavery Act statement covering its UK operations. Kimberly-Clark reports workforce diversity metrics and has disclosed equal employment opportunity policies in its annual sustainability and proxy reports. The company operates manufacturing facilities across multiple countries; specific third-party labor audits of its full supply chain are not comprehensively disclosed in publicly available documents.

Kleenex products on Amazon

8 products from Kleenex, sold on Amazon (US). Leif earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Leif's rating reflects an independent sustainability assessment of the brand — drawing on disclosures, third-party certifications, and public ESG data — not customer reviews. Ratings are directional, not precise scores. Read how scoring works and our full methodology. New to this? Learn how to spot greenwashing and what each certification actually proves.

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Stated attributes

Publicly stated commitments — not necessarily independently verified.

In Practice