Dive Brief:

  • Kimberly-Clark has launched an alternative natural fiber program to transform fibers from succulent plants into a sustainable material for product manufacturing, as detailed in an Aug. 3 press release.
  • As part of this initiative, the company is constructing a pilot facility in Yuma, Arizona, to evaluate the hesperaloe plant—identified by the consumer-packaged goods manufacturer as a potential year-round fiber source for its hygiene products.
  • The natural fiber program is expected to support integration plans for the pending acquisition of Kenvue, reduce natural forest fiber cost volatility, and advance progress toward the company's natural forest fiber-free ambitions, according to CEO Michael Hsu during an Aug. 4 earnings call.

Dive Insight:

Kimberly-Clark's latest natural fiber program aims to strengthen the long-term sustainability of its fiber supply chain.

“This program has the potential to give us more flexibility in how we source fiber in the future and strengthen the resilience of our supply chain over the long term,” Lisa Morden, chief sustainability officer at Kimberly-Clark, told Supply Chain Dive in an email. “It's part of our efforts to explore additional fiber sources and reduce dependence on traditional options.”

For the time being, the CPG manufacturer is focused on testing and learning as it advances the program with growers, technical experts, and local stakeholders across the Southwest.

“We believe the technology could eventually be used across our hygiene products portfolio, but it's still early, and we're not sharing specific commercialization timelines at this point,” Morden said.

As it experiments with a new material source, Kimberly-Clark has achieved several supply chain innovation wins this year. For example, the company finished installing an end-to-end procurement software, piloted an artificial intelligence agent in its manufacturing network, and launched an academy-based learning program to future-proof its supply chain.

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