"We had many fabulous award submissions," said Andrew Telfer, manager of sustainability at Walmart Canada. "Our vendor-partners are certainly taking the environment to heart and incorporating sustainability initiatives into their business plans. The competition was tough; however, Cascades' entry was very strong. They are most deserving of our award."
"Long before sustainable development became fashionable, Cascades was putting it into practice instinctively," said Mario Plourde, Cascades' president and CEO. "In fact, Cascades was born out of a form of sustainable development—the recovery of waste paper. We have always believed that remaining true to our values is the only way forward."
Through its Cascades Recovery division, Canada's largest collector of recycled materials, Cascades collects Walmart's recyclable waste including corrugated boxes, plastics, and old papers. The collected goods are reused in a variety of products, such as packaging and bathroom tissue, thus diverting tons of usable materials from Canadian landfills each year.
"We're honored to be recognized by such an important customer, one that also has a strong commitment to sustainability and sound resources management," adds Suzanne Blanchet, president and CEO of Cascades Tissue Group. "At Cascades, our commitment to offering the most innovative and eco-responsible products possible is what makes us stand apart." Cascades' products are made using 50% less energy and 80% less water than the Canadian paper industry average.
Cascades recently launched its second sustainable development plan for 2013-2015, which is a continuation of the previous one for 2010-2012. This new roadmap includes fresh targets to push the company's environmental performance even further, and is focused on nine indicators: energy, waste, water, sustainable procurement, innovation, financial performance, health and safety, employee mobilization, and community involvement.
Cascades Tissue Group, a division of Cascades ULC, is the fourth largest producer of tissue paper in North America.
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