Introduction
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is a multinational company headquartered in Dallas, Texas that produces hygiene and personal care products, including paper towels, diapers, toilet paper, and similar items. The company was founded in 1872, and it has reached global popularity through its family of brands. In an effort to become more socially responsible, Kimberly-Clark Corporation has initiated a plan for reducing its environmental impact. Since the vast majority of the company’s products are disposable, waste management and minimization became the management’s principal focus. One of the core pillars in Kimberly-Clark’s sustainability plan is waste and recycling, and the goal is to divert 150,000 metric tons of product and packaging waste from landfills by 2022.
In order to achieve this goal, Kimberly-Clark Corporation focuses on post-consumer waste recovery, product re-design, and increased recyclability of products and packaging. The plastic film material used to package a lot of Kimberly-Clark’s products is the primary source of landfill waste originating in the company. However, it is unlikely to be substituted, and thus it is necessary to encourage customers to return packaging instead of throwing it away. So far, Kimberly-Clark Corporation sought to raise consumer awareness by placing recycling labels where customers can see them. At the moment, the company is also considering the implementation of a rewards-based program to motivate customers to return or recycle the packaging. For the program to be effective in supporting Kimberly-Clark’s goals, it has to create value for customers. Store drop-off recycling and product rewards have been considered as one of the possibilities.
Problem Statement
The plastic film used by Kimberly-Clark Corporation is a significant source of landfill waste. In order to achieve its sustainability goals, the company has to reduce the volume of this film that ends up in landfills. The management of the company wants to know whether a rewards-based recycling program would be feasible and effective in supporting Kimberly-Clark’s sustainability ambitions.