In effort to go green, Weshop discontinues Kleenex brand

Although the change was not widely publicized and has largely gone unnoticed, two students in particular were pleased to note the absence of familiar Kleenex-brand tissues at Weshop after winter break. As of 2008, Weshop has stopped stocking Kimberly Clark products, and has increased its supply of alternative brands like Green Forest.

Last semester Aurora Margarita-Goldkamp ’10 and Gina Yeomans ’10 submitted a proposal to Weshop to stop its sale of products made by Kimberly Clark, an American corporation that manufactures mostly paper-based products, like Kleenex. The company has come under attack in recent years for its clear-cutting of old-growth forests and failure to use recycled fiber in its products. Action against the company is considered by some to be crucial to both wildlife preservation and the fight against climate change.

The proposal started as an Introduction to Environmental Studies final project that dealt with increasing sustainability at the University. Building on the Greenpeace campaign Kleercut, which works to stop the use of Kimberly Clark products around the country, Margarita-Goldkamp and Yeomans drafted a proposal to eliminate their use at the University.

Margarita-Goldkamp and Yeomans submitted the proposal to both EON’s Sustainability Committee and Weshop. The proposal included “greener, and in some cases, cheaper alternatives to products used on campus,” according to Yeomans.

Weshop found that it could make the change without losing money or increasing prices.

The Greenpeace campaign has found success on other college campuses, including Rice University, American University, the University of Miami and Skidmore College, all of which have discontinued their usage of Kimberly Clark products.

Although Margarita-Goldkamp and Yeomans see the change at Weshop as a crucial first step, they aim to expand their campaign on campus.

“Our next target is the Kimberly Clark products that are still used in dorms and public buildings all over campus,” said Margarita-Goldkamp.

The two students also seek to raise awareness among students about the environmental impact cost of Kimberly Clark’s practices.

“Our victory at Weshop is a huge step in the movement, but our campaign is far from over,” said Yeomans.