Kimberly-Clark Professional Expands Thrive Sustainability Program

As part of its ongoing commitment to help businesses reduce their environmental impact, Kimberly-Clark Professional announced an expansion of its Thrive sustainability program. The program, which already accepts qualifying towel dispensers, toilet paper dispensers and select wipes, has now expanded to include the full range of WypAll and Kimtech wipes and eligible hand soap and sanitizer refill bottles, extending the landfill diversion solution across more of the products businesses use every day.

Kimberly-Clark Professional’s Thrive program provides a process for collecting, shipping and tracking eligible nonhazardous used products. The materials are converted into alternative fuel, which can offset the use of natural resources such as coal and natural gas, and the resulting ash is repurposed as an ingredient in cement manufacturing. According to a third-party life cycle assessment, using waste-derived alternative fuel in place of coal can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54%.

“We’re committed to reducing our own environmental footprint while helping our customers do the same,” says Cristine Schulz, associate director of Sustainability, Kimberly-Clark Professional. “By expanding the Thrive program, we’re giving customers more ways to put their sustainability priorities into action through the products and operations they manage every day.”

Since launching in late 2025, Thrive has already helped over 20 companies divert more than 175,000 pounds of waste from landfills. The expanded program builds on that momentum by making more commonly used facility products eligible for diversion and giving customers additional opportunities to help reduce waste generated through everyday operations. 

Thrive also provides customers with visibility into their landfill diversion efforts through traceable reporting. Customers can quantify diversion metrics and monitor progress over time to help sustainability teams understand their impact and confidently communicate progress toward their sustainability goals.

The expanded program may be particularly beneficial for hospitality, retail, entertainment and other away-from-home environments where restroom experiences contribute to overall brand perception. Such locations are increasingly balancing expectations for cleanliness, guest satisfaction and environmental stewardship.