ROSWELL, Ga., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --  Kimberly-Clark Health Care today announced that it has been named a winner of the Practice Greenhealth 2014 Champion for Change Awards, recognizing the company as an exemplary member of the sustainability-minded healthcare supplier community. Kimberly-Clark Health Care was honored for its dedicated work in recycling, education and giving back to those in need. 

The Champion for Change Awards honors businesses in the healthcare industry that take steps to improve their organization's green practices and help their customers expand their sustainable practices. The awards are reserved for organizational partners supplying healthcare products and services that are considerate of Earth and its resources. As a winner of this award for the second year, Kimberly-Clark Health Care has achieved success in greening its own organization and has also assisted others who are committed to improving their environmental performance.

"It is a great honor for Kimberly-Clark Health Care to be recognized for our excellence in sustainability practices for a second year," said Chris Lowery, Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "We are privileged to have a dedicated team at Kimberly-Clark Health Care who demonstrate their commitment to greening our organization and assist others in improving their environmental performance."

Kimberly-Clark Health Care was recognized for several environmental initiatives including:

• Recycling – Kimberly-Clark Health Care's Blue ReNew sterilization wrap recycling program reaches hospitals throughout the United States and Canada, bringing another life to this product. The program helps hospitals organize the process of recycling their wrap by connecting the facilities with local plastics processors for a sustainable program. To date, there are 143 hospitals actively recycling sterilization wrap through the Blue ReNew Program with an additional 257 hospitals engaged and pending start-up.
   
• Education – Adding to its offering of educational programs, Kimberly-Clark Health Care partners with suppliers, hospitals and recyclers through the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) to create the HospiCycle toolbox. The toolbox provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with tools to maximize hospital recycling systems. Additionally, the HPRC team works with several hospitals to develop case studies of recycling measurements and opportunities.
   
• Giving Back – Through its partnership with MedShare, Kimberly-Clark Health Care sponsors more than 55 forty-five foot containers of medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in need throughout Latin America.

"At Kimberly-Clark Health Care, we pride ourselves on helping our customers balance their environmental, social and economic impact while taking care of patients," said Jane Hart, Global Sustainability Leader, Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "This award recognition sheds light on the achievement of our goal to make sustainability a part of the way we operate. It also highlights our commitment to collaborate with customers and other industry suppliers to create a healthier future for all."

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented on June 5, 2014, in Cleveland, Ohio, at the CleanMed Conference & Exhibition, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.

About Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the nation's leading health care community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care through tools, best practices and knowledge. To learn more about Practice Greenhealth visit www.practicegreenhealth.org.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex^®, Scott^®, Huggies^®, Pull-Ups^®, Kotex^® and Depend^®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 142-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  

Kimberly-Clark in the Healthcare Environment
Around the world, medical professionals turn to Kimberly-Clark for a portfolio of solutions that improve the health, hygiene and well-being of their patients and staff. As part of their healing mission, caregivers rely on Kimberly-Clark to deliver clinical solutions, hygiene & cleaning offerings, and educational resources that they can depend on to prevent, diagnose and manage a wide variety of healthcare-associated infections. A global enterprise of more than $1 billion, Kimberly-Clark Health Care holds the No. 1 or No. 2 market share position in several categories, including infection control solutions, surgical solutions, pain management, hygiene solutions, digestive health and respiratory health. Kimberly-Clark plans to spin-off Kimberly-Clark Health Care into Halyard Health, a stand-alone, publicly-traded company. For more information, visit http://www.kchealthcare.com.

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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Health Care