RONA announces new partnership as part of growing sustainability platform

RONA commits $100,000 to the Rouge Valley reforestation project that kicks off partnership with David Suzuki Foundation

BOUCHERVILLE, QC, April 16, 2012 /CNW/ - RONA inc. (TSX: RON) (TSX: RON.PR.A) announced today a commitment to reforest what will be Canada's first near-urban National Park - the Rouge Valley. The project that supports reforestation in urban areas across Canada is the first initiative of RONA's new partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF). This partnership is a continuation of RONA's commitment to the sustainability of natural resources and of its leadership in sustainable development.

"We have the responsibility to make smart choices that minimizes the impact on our environment," said Robert Dutton, President and CEO of RONA. "This partnership is part of our commitment to make sustainability core to our business.  Sustainability guides our choices and governs the way we operate - from our products to our people to our local communities."

The partnership kicks off with tree planting events on May 5 and June 2 hosted by RONA and DSF in the Rouge Valley in Toronto.  The Rouge Valley tree planting event is open to the public and encourages consumers to help make their community healthy and green. Interested participants can sign up for Rouge Valley tree plantings at local RONA stores or at www.davidsuzuki.org/rouge.

To support this program, RONA is also offering a special range of trees and shrubs grown to Ontario to encourage homeowners to 'reforest' their backyard.  The DSF-tagged trees and shrubs will be available April 29 in select RONA stores across Ontario.

"We are thrilled to partner with RONA to help restore and enhance nature in the Rouge and in people's own backyards," said Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation. "RONA's partnership will help reforest the future site of Canada's first near-urban National Park and make it easy for customers to find native species to plant in their neighbourhood. We commend RONA for this program and making sustainability a fundamental part of their business."

Over the past decade, RONA has translated its sustainable development vision through the use of the life cycle approach, a rigorous, demanding and scientific process that applies to all of RONA's supply chain.  The essence of the life cycle approach is global, from extraction of resource to the end of life of a product, taking into account all environmental aspects.

Based on this approach, RONA has implemented a series of key initiatives and policies that have become part of the company's business strategy, including:

• Wood Products Procurement Policy:  designed to protect Canada's Boreal Forest by offering products sourced from sustainable managed woodlands certified under three recognized programs.  RONA can also trace the lumber sold to their stores from the forest of origin
• Responsible Procurement Policy:  limits RONA's purchases to products that reduce environmental impact, enhance Canada's social and economic benefits and are manufactured by workers whose rights are respected
• Paper Products Use and Procurement: takes measures to reduce consumption of paper products and implements a stringent process of selecting suppliers based on their manufacturing processes
• Sustainable Packaging Policy: works on optimizing packaging on RONA's portfolio of brands and improving recovery rates of cardboard and plastics in stores
• Consumer Education: Eco-leaders are available in every RONA store, where they can educate and guide consumers on making informed eco-friendly decisions related to renovation and gardening
• RONA ECO Products:  RONA ECO offers a benchmark line of eco-responsible hardware and home-renovation products that leave a less ecological footprint than equivalent conventional products throughout their entire life cycle
• Recovery Programs: RONA operates a number of recovery programs that enable consumers to safely dispose of waste and was the first in Canada to recover used paint

For more information about RONA and its sustainable development initiatives, visit www.ronaeco.ca

About RONA
RONA inc. (TSX: RON) (TSX: RON.PR.A), is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products and operates a network of more than 800 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada, the RONA store network generates more than $6 billion in annual retail sales. Visit rona.ca

About David Suzuki Foundation (DSF)
The David Suzuki Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding solutions for living within the limits of nature and mobilizing Canadians to make their communities healthy and green. www.davidsuzuki.org

Media Contacts
Michelle Laberge
RONA Inc.
[email protected]
514.599.5114

Matt Roth
MSL Canada
[email protected]
416.847.1305

Jode Roberts
David Suzuki Foundation
[email protected]
647.456.9752