Introducing EVOK from Cascades—the first polystyrene foam food tray made with recycled material. Now available in all Metro, Metro Plus and Super C stores in Quebec

KINGSEY FALLS, QC, April 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Cascades's new EVOK^™, the first polystyrene foam food tray in North America made with recycled material, can now be found on the grocery shelves of an important Canadian distributor.  EVOK™ was created to package meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fresh fruit. Cascades is proud to offer this innovative new product and reaffirm its position as a leader in packaging that respects the environment.

New, environmentally friendly packaging at METRO

By reducing the use of virgin material and introducing recycled material—at a level of 25%—Cascades has lowered the carbon footprint of food packaging.

Opting for EVOK^™ is a simple way to help protect the environment.

METRO has adopted the initiative with lots of enthusiasm. "Rethinking packaging is one of our priorities in our Corporate Responsibility approach," says Mr. Serge Boulanger, METRO's Senior Vice-President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands. "We're very pleased to contribute to the best practices by becoming the first national brand to use EVOK^™ in all our stores in Quebec."

Replacing regular packaging with EVOK^™—which contains recycled material—enables METRO to reduce Quebec's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by some 600 tons. That's roughly the equivalent produced by 200 compact cars.

As well as being made with 25% recycled material, the new EVOK^™ packaging debunks a number of popular myths. "Polystyrene foam, which is 90% air, provides us with an undeniable environmental advantage," says Mr. Luc Langevin, President and Chief Operating Officer Cascades, Specialty Products Group. "By replacing a quarter of the virgin material we use with recycled material, Cascades can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 20% compared to it's traditional packaging made with polystyrene foam." At Cascades, the innovation and development of specialized products that respect the environment is key. This is our daily goal and part of our corporate values.

Evoking the value of recycled materials

We named our new product EVOK^™ for a reason. To us, EVOK^™ stands for the renewal of materials. Like "evoke," the name means something we conjure up from the past—just like the recycled material and renewable energy that's used to produce our new packaging.

For more information, visit www.cascades.com/evok.

A member of the Cascades Specialty Products Group, the Consumer Product Packaging sector conceives, manufactures and markets packaging products made of molded pulp and plastic and covers the food, hardware and consumer product industries. Its diversified portfolio also includes site furnishings and construction materials made from 100% recycled plastic.

Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products composed mainly of recycled fibres. Cascades employs close to 11,000 employees who work in more than 100 production units located in North America and Europe. Cascades's management philosophy, its more than 45 years of experience in recycling, and its continued efforts in research and development are strengths that enable the company to create new products for customers. The Cascades shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CAS.

METRO INC.

With annual sales of over $11 billion and more than 65,000 employees, METRO INC. is a leader in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Québec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more than 600 food stores under several banners, including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy, and Drug Basics banners.

Image with caption: "EVOK(TM) (CNW Group/Cascades Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130417_C6205_PHOTO_EN_25616.jpg

Image with caption: "EVOK(TM) (CNW Group/Cascades Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130417_C6205_PHOTO_EN_25618.jpg

SOURCE: Cascades Inc.

Hugo D'Amours 
Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs
CASCADES INC.
404 Marie-Victorin BLVD, P.O. Box 30
Kingsey Falls, Québec  Canada J0A 1B0
T: 819-363-5164
[email protected] 

Marie-Claude Bacon
Senior Director, Corporate Affairs Department
METRO INC.
11 011 Maurice-Duplessis blvd.
Montréal (Québec) H1C 1V6
514 643-1086
[email protected]