Cascades Wins 2017 Food Innovation-Packaging Award for northbox

Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls, Que., Canada, a producer of green packaging and tissue products, has received a Food Innovation Award from the Food Processing Council of Quebec, Canada (Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec, or CTAQ), in the Packaging category, for its northbox® product, a new recyclable, insulated box.

The northbox is an isothermal container made entirely of recycled materials, that is ideal for shipping temperature-sensitive products by mail. It was designed with the objective of being recyclable at the end of its lifecycle—a first in North America. With its thermal performance and eco-friendly features, northbox meets the needs of high-growth markets, notably e-commerce, for prepared and ready-to-cook meals.

Each year, the CTAQ recognizes the avant-gardism of technologies and Quebec products that stand out in the industry. For the 2017 contest, a Packaging category was added for the first time and included evaluation criteria such as technological innovation, product conservation, and sustainable development. The prize awarded to Cascades recognizes the company's continuous efforts to develop innovative packaging solutions.

"The northbox is the fruit of a remarkable team effort, our culture of innovation, and more than 50 years of expertise in eco-packaging design. This packaging solution was developed entirely by Cascades in collaboration with our customers, which made it possible to meet their specific needs in a high growth market. We are motivated and equipped to meet this kind of challenge," affirmed Luc Langevin, president and COO of Cascades Specialty Products Group.

More information about northbox is available online.

The Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ) is a consolidation of the industry's forces, representing 11 associations. As such, the CTAQ groups together 80% of the annual sales of a $28 billion industry. The Food Innovation Award contest is organized and presented by the CTAQ in partnership with MAPAQ, National Bank, BDO, Desjardins Group, and TransformAction.