Hawks and State Farm Arena Announce New Sustainability-Focused Partnership with Kimberly-Clark Professional^™

Award-Winning Downtown Atlanta Venue to Use Smart Restroom Technology and Product Recycling to Improve Environmental Footprint and Customer Experience

ATLANTA, Ga., April 24, 2024 – As Earth Month comes to a close, the Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena and Kimberly-Clark Professional™ today announced a new multi-year, sustainability-focused partnership.

Throughout the award-winning downtown Atlanta venue, Kimberly-Clark Professional branding and products, including Scott^® paper towels and Kleenex^® tissue, soap dispensers and hand sanitizers will be featured at select Hawks’ home games. Kimberly-Clark Professional branding will also appear on the uniform shirts worn by the Hawks’ Mop Crew, who are responsible for cleaning the hardwood floor during timeouts and halftime.

Kimberly-Clark recently earned the #2 spot on Barron’s list of most sustainable U.S. companies for its achievements in reducing its environmental footprint and announced its ambition to be 100% Natural Forest Free in all its products.

“We are excited to continue our sustainability efforts by partnering with Kimberly-Clark Professional,” said Hawks’ EVP and State Farm Arena General Manager Brett Stefansson. “Our two organizations have continued to focus on quality and innovation in the realm of workplace hygiene and safety, and we truly believe that this new relationship will help us prioritize the well-being of our Atlanta community.”

In April 2022, Green Business Certification Inc., the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, announced that State Farm Arena earned a TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum certification. With this achievement, State Farm Arena is now the world’s first and only sports and live entertainment venue to receive TRUE certification and has been recertified to maintain this standard of excellence. Since May 2021, the venue has consistently diverted a minimum of 90 percent of all waste from landfills.

“At Kimberly-Clark Professional, our purpose is to provide Better Care for a Better World,” said Susan Gambardella, President, Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. “We look forward to helping this important customer meet their sustainability goals with environmentally responsible products and programs.”

Onvation^®  is one of Kimberly-Clark Professional’s programs, a connected software solution that proactively controls and optimizes restroom servicing. It can decrease the time staff spend checking dispensers by more than 90 percent per year², reduce consumable waste by up to 80 percent, directly impact hygiene levels and service rotations, and achieve up to 75 percent fewer visitor complaints³, all while positively impacting the guest experience.

As an additional part of this partnership, State Farm Arena will be integrated into a successful product recycling program created by Kimberly-Clark Professional to help further advance the venue’s sustainability goals. Since 2011, this program has helped Kimberly-Clark Professional customers divert over 5.5 million pounds of plastic waste streams from landfill³. 

“We’re dedicated to the teamwork it takes to help create better customer experiences,” said Ignacio Suit, Chief Customer Officer, Kimberly-Clark Professional. “Many customers know our brands, and these brands serve as a promise to guests of safety and cleanliness from a responsible and ethical source.”

The Hawks and State Farm Arena continue to lead the way in sustainable practices for sports and live event venues. To learn more about the organization’s commitment to sustainability, visit StateFarmArena.com/sustainability.

ABOUT KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL™

Kimberly-Clark Professional™ partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer, and more productive. Key brands in this segment include Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, KleenGuard, and Kimtech. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better, please visit www.kcprofessional.com