KINGSEY FALLS, QC, March 22, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - This World Water Day, Cascades is proud to announce that it has exceeded its 2015 target for reducing its water consumption. By the end of the 2013–2015 Sustainable Development Plan, the company's objective was to decrease wastewater output of its plants to 10.6 cubic meters of water per tonne of products. Several process improvements have enabled it to exceed this target and reduce its output to 9.9 cubic meters per tonne, which is six times less than the average for the Canadian pulp and paper industry1.
Strong leadership, good water management
"By choosing to manufacture many products from recycled materials, we not only save trees, we also save a large amount of water during the manufacturing process. Even though we consume less water than the industry average, we spare no effort in continuing to improve our performance," says Mario Plourde, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades. "We are now seeing the major benefits of our good practices, not only with regard to the environment, but also with our finances — as saving water results in cost reductions."
Over the past few years, Cascades' Environment Department has worked closely with plants to identify areas for improvement in an effort to reduce water consumption. "Our teams have used their ingenuity to reuse water as much as possible in a closed circuit, thereby minimizing our fresh water usage," explains Léon Marineau, Vice-President, Environment. A comparison of our current and past performance serves as a measure of the colossal progress made: In 2005, Cascades plants consumed an average of 23.9 cubic meters of water per tonne of products. Ten years later, they are using 2.5 times less.
Major savings for the planet
Between 2013 and 2015, Cascades' water savings compared to the industry consumption average enabled it to save 312 billion liters of water — that's enough to fill nearly 8 million above-ground swimming pools2. Cascades hopes that its initiatives will inspire other companies to follow in its footsteps, leading to even greater collective reductions in water consumption.
Sustainable development report to be published in spring
Cascades will shortly publish a report on the results of its 2013–2015 Sustainable Development Plan. This will give an overview of the work carried out in three major areas—planet, prosperity and partners—and will underline Cascades' priorities with the aim of extending its lead. Having as positive an impact as possible; this has been Cascades' objective for more than 50 years.
Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. The Company employs close to 11,000 employees, who work in over 90 production units located in North America and Europe. With its management philosophy, half a century of experience in recycling, and continuous efforts in research and development as driving forces, Cascades continues to deliver the innovative products that customers have come to rely on. Cascades' shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol CAS.
Web site: www.cascades.com
Green by Nature Blog: blog.cascades.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Cascades
Twitter: twitter.com/@CascadesDD | twitter.com/@CascadesSD | twitter.com/@CascadesInvest
YouTube: youtube.com/Cascades
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1 The average for the Canadian industry is 65 cubic meters according to the Forest Products Association of Canada, 2013.
2 The volume of water in an above-ground swimming pool, measuring 21 feet in diameter.
SOURCE Cascades Inc.
Media: Hugo D'Amours, Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs, Cascades Inc., 819 363-5164, [email protected]
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