Harrods, the world-famous luxury department store, has solved one of its biggest headaches by diverting tonnes of its used paper hand towels from general waste.

Having already reduced Harrod’s waste by replacing its paper hand towel product with a more absorbent alternative, Banner, the full-service business supplies company, identified Kimberly-Clark Professional’s RightCycle service as a circular solution for paper towel sustainability.

The service seamlessly recycles all existing hand towel waste. The used paper towels are regularly collected, compressed and processed into new paper products. Critically, Banner was able to set up this service at no additional cost to Harrods while retaining the premium nature of what they offer.

Mick Twelves, Key Account Manager at Banner, says, “I investigated a number of suppliers and it became apparent that traditional waste management companies do not accept paper hand towels with the mixed recycling. Then I found RightCycle by Kimberly-Clark Professional and I knew we were onto a winner. The result is a massive reduction in Harrods’ waste footprint, with no impact on purchase price.

“As a long-term customer, Harrod’s knows that it can make significant steps towards its own CSR goals through us.  We’ve become an extension of their team, and through our ability to consolidate delivery and find solutions through our reach and relationships, we’ve been able to save the business time and money while also improving its sustainability.” 

Rebecca Morgan, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Harrods, says, “We’re on a path to a sustainable future and, as part of that we have some key focus areas for this year. We’re plotting our path to Net Zero, we’re looking to substantially reduce our waste and increase our recycling rates, and we’re looking to reduce plastic from around the business. Working with Banner and Kimberly-Clark, our facilities team identified the opportunity to recycle our paper towels into new paper products, which was an ongoing headache for Harrods.”

James Hallam, Circularity Program Manager at Kimberly-Clark Professional, says, “The customers get a closed-loop service with RightCycle; they know the hand towels are going back into making new products that they can buy themselves. It’s as easy as throwing your hand towels away, but it’s a more responsible option for everyone, including the planet.