Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP) has launched a new global campaign to persuade its customers that sustainability is about more than just a product's packaging.

KCP provides washroom products to commercial and industrial facilities such as offices, schools, hotels and manufacturing plants and the 'Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow' campaign is designed to illustrate the importance of looking at the whole product.

A KCP spokeswoman told Packaging News there was a perception among its customers that 100% recycled board was always best and the campaign would show the other factors at play in developing sustainable products.

"It's a complex issue and not just about having recycled packaging, but other things like water and energy consumption and the amount of waste generated too," she said.

"We look at being creative with our products, for example, a more absorbent wipe means you use fewer. That's beneficial to the environment and the buyer, and we want to inform customers about the choices we make as a brand."

KCP's brands include Kleenex, Scott, Kimcare, and WypAll.

KCP favours an environmental approach based on source reduction, or designing products to eliminate potential waste from the start. "If less is consumed in the first place, it often means there is less packaging waste, which further reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill," the firm said in a statement.

The firm is looking at redesigning products to fit more units into a case and onto pallets. It has also redesigned products, such as Scott Coreless Standard Roll Bath Tissue that removes the core and paper wrap and reduces packaging waste by 55%.