In 2008, we produced 1.54 million metric tons of non-hazardous solid waste. Of this, 343,000 metric tons were sent to landfill. Approximately 510,000 metric tons were recycled, composted or incinerated and 124,000 metric tons were reused directly or in other products or processes. The increase in waste generation was contributed to by the start-up of a new tissue machine and of a major new de-inking operation.

Most of the waste we send to landfill is sludge from our wastewater treatment plants. Potential opportunities for recycling sludge include selling it as fuel for waste-to-energy projects, or for use in cement manufacturing, mine reclamation, and agriculture. We also seek alternatives to landfill for boiler ash.

We have a Solid Waste Working Team to support our Personal Care business. This group is identifying new opportunities to reuse and recycle waste.

For example, K-C Australia identified an opportunity for our Ingleburn Diaper facility and Albury Nonwovens facility to work together to reuse and recycle materials, saving both resources and money. Nonwoven materials made at Albury are sent to Ingleburn as components for the products made there. Scrap polymers and cores from the nonwoven rolls are sent back to Albury for reuse. Cores are reused up to eight times before being recycled with other scrap materials. Polymers are either recycled on site or sold to a polymer recycler. The program has been so successful that the Personal Care Solid Waste Group is holding trials at other K-C sites in the United States.

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