Contributing to a Greener and Healthier Forest Ecology in Taiwan

On the first Saturday of September, 130 Kimberly-Clark Taiwan employees and their family members voluntarily spent their day off at a national forest conservation event organized by Hsinchu Forest District Office of Forestry Bureau. The volunteers and their families, ages ranging from 14 months to 74 year old, worked together under the blazing sun to remove the “mile-a-minute” weed - deadly killers of the indigenous trees island-wide.

“As the leading manufacturer in tissue and personal care products in Taiwan for almost half a century, we are not only committed to providing products with the best quality but also engaged in giving back to the community and natural environment. We are honored to be the long-standing partner of the forest conservation initiative led by the Forestry Bureau. We believe the efforts by our employees and their families over the past years are contributing to a greener and healthier natural forest ecology in Taiwan,” said Samuel Phan, Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark Taiwan.

According to the Forestry Bureau, close to 1,900 individuals participated in weed removal activities nationwide on the same day and removed 6,027 kg of “mile-a-minute” weeds under the hot summer weather. The weed is the most common species of invasive plants in the country. Growing rapidly on trees, they cause the trees to slowly die. The Forestry Bureau’s research suggests the best time to remove the weeds is before they blossom and bear fruit in early autumn. The first Saturday of September each year is thus designated as the “mile-a-minute” weed prevention day, with the bureau hosting community events as a call to action.

Since the program was introduced in 2001, the land area invaded by the weeds has been reduced by almost 84 per cent, from 51,853 hectares in the first year to 8,123 hectares in 2017. Kimberly-Clark Taiwan began participating in the initiative with its corporate volunteer program in 2012. This is the sixth consecutive year it has been part of the green initiative.

The leading brand in Taiwan, Kleenex was the first tissue brand to introduce to local consumers Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified tissue products in 2009. Today, Kleenex remains the only tissue brand with the widest range of tissue products certified by FSC, upholding the highest sustainable fiber sourcing practice.

Kimberly-Clark Taiwan’s educational booth attracted many who took part in the interactive games to learn more about FSC and green consumption.