Kimberly-Clark Professional launches ReNew to recycle hygiene products

Launched in September 2025, Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalTM's ReNewTM program builds on the success of the RightCycleTM service and its established solutions for waste recovery and circular innovation. The transition demonstrates the company's commitment to continuously improving its sustainability and pursuing a new approach to environmental responsibility. By January 1, 2026, Kimberly-Clark will have transitioned all customers to the ReNewTM program, which will replace the RightCycleTM service.

“With Kimberly-Clark as your partner, you have the opportunity to breathe new life into your washroom waste and effortlessly reduce your environmental impact,” says Kristin Barrett, IFP Growth – Circularity Program Manager at Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalTM. "We know how challenging waste disposal can be. That's why we've evolved existing programs to offer the same proven service, but now with greater reach and a stronger focus on circular solutions."

From towels and dispensers to wipes, the ReNewTM program collects used items and transforms them into new materials and goods. In doing so, it helps customers achieve their goals in terms of waste prevention, CO2 reduction, and ESG commitments. The program enables customers to choose high-performance hygiene products for their business, knowing that there is a responsible recycling solution.

For example, paper towels have been proven to be the most hygienic method of hand drying, especially in healthcare. The ReNewTM program makes this choice even more recommendable, as it keeps used towels out of landfills and returns them to the cycle as recycled paper products.

The Kimberly-Clark plant in Koblenz, Germany, which will be converted to 100% renewable energy by 2029, handles most of the processing of collected paper towels in Europe. In other regions, local recycling partners are engaged for efficient, low-carbon recycling. In the UK and Germany, the ReNewTM program even accepts products from competitors, demonstrating that it is about industry-wide progress and not just brand loyalty.

“With our sustainable solutions, companies no longer have to compromise between hygiene, sustainability, and practicality,” adds Kristin Barrett. “The ReNewTM program is practical, scalable, and relieves our customers of the burden of waste disposal. The system makes it easier to make sustainable decisions by providing a complete, effortless recycling solution.”

The program is jointly funded by Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalTM and its customers, underscoring the principle of shared responsibility. The service includes regular reports on CO2 emissions and waste reduction, helping companies quantify and clearly communicate their sustainability efforts.

In a recent survey, more than 95% of customers said they would recommend the service to others.3 Since its launch in 2011, the sustainable solutions program has grown to over 400 active customers. By 2024, the program will have kept more than 250 tons of paper towels and 90 tons of plastic out of landfills.

Since the program was launched in 2022, over 508 tons of paper towels have been collected and recycled in Germany. With over 400 customer locations, the recycling program for paper towels in Germany is the largest in the portfolio. The leading hygiene product manufacturer cooperates with a permanent partner throughout Germany for the recycling cycle of paper towels that end up in the trash every day in countless companies. This partner collects the used towels from participating companies and presses them into 500 kg bales, which Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalTM processes in Koblenz and turns into new paper products.
Kimberly-Clark is the first company to offer a service that also collects used paper towels from the healthcare sector. In Germany, used products can be collected nationwide from all sectors, whether from large or small companies, and sent for recycling. New program participants can start recycling immediately and return previously used competitor products to the cycle until they have used up their stocks.

The ReNewTM program is expanding into new markets and regions across Europe and the UK, with further growth planned for 2026 and beyond. Whether you are a long-time participant or new to circular solutions, Kimberly-Clark ProfessionalTM invites companies with waste management goals to become part of a growing community that is making a measurable difference.