Kimberly-Clark's U.S. Huggies® Brand and select Bright Horizons™ child care centers throughout Boston are teaming up on a new pilot program that aims to offset the environmental impact of used diapers and wipes going to landfill by turning it into electricity, heat or fuel through a process known as Waste-to-Energy. Based on preliminary estimates, over the next year, the pilot program is expected to result inthousands of pounds of trash being diverted from local landfills.
"Huggies is passionate about providing innovative solutions to better serve consumers and communities," said Matt Barresi, North American Vice President of the Huggies Brand. "Whether it's having the original Leak Lock® blowout blocker since 1997, a 20% thicker baby wipe* or a solution to help keep diapers and wipes out of landfills, we're proud to partner on this breakthrough program to help create a more sustainable environment."
Waste-to-Energy technology, a process managed by our partners at Covanta, offsets the use of fossil fuels and reduces carbon emissions and methane generation from landfills at many facilities around North America, including the local Boston area. Waste-to-Energy takes non-hazardous waste – otherwise destined for landfill – and combusts it, generating steam for electricity production. The resulting ash is also processed to recover metal for recycling while all gases are collected, filtered, and cleaned to minimize environmental impact.
"Diaper waste in landfills has been an ongoing concern for our local families, and we're thrilled to partner with Huggies to help make a positive environmental impact in the Boston community," said Sondra Ahearn, Regional Manager for Bright Horizons. "We remain dedicated to supporting our families and the communities in which they live, and this is the next step in that mission."
The pilot will run at select Boston-area Bright Horizons centers. Pending outcomes, Huggies and Bright Horizons will look to potentially expand the pilot in other major metro cities. To learn more about Bright Horizons and Huggies, please visit BrightHorizons.com or Huggies.com, or follow along on social media. To learn more about the Waste-to-Energy process, please visit Covanta.com.
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