A new alternative for the material used to make paper towels, diapers and tissues may be growing in your backyard.
Hesperaloe, also known as Red Yucca, grows native to the Southwest and is commonly used in residential landscaping.
"As a resilient succulent plant native to the U.S. Southwest, hesperaloe’s ability to thrive in the region with less water than many crops currently grown there makes Yuma well suited for evaluating its potential as a year-round source of agricultural and economic opportunity," the company said in a statement.
Manufacturing company Kimberly-Clark is opening a new Yuma facility to turn this desert shrub into a variety of paper-based products. Hesperaloe is a relatively low-water plant, which helps the company to reach its water conservation goals.
Kimberly-Clark said in a statement it plans to use Yuma’s preexisting agricultural infrastructure and local workforce.
"We welcome Kimberly Clark! This investment is a perfect example of building upon our historical and strong agricultural industry, while developing our future innovation industries,” Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls said in a statement.
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