Cascades' Leadership Honoured at ENERGY SUMMIT 2018

KINGSEY FALLS, QC, June 4, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - On May 30, Cascades' leadership in the area of energy efficiency was honoured at ENERGY SUMMIT 2018. The Company, a leader in the recovery and manufacture of green packaging and tissue products, received a Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) Leadership Award in the category of Integrated Energy Efficiency Strategy. With this award, Natural Resources Canada recognized Cascades' good practices and commitment to continuously improving its energy efficiency through a variety of initiatives stemming from its integrated strategy. 

"We are very honoured by this recognition. The expertise of our specialists and the effort deployed are yielding concrete results, a good example of which is that we now use 2.7 times less energy than the industry average to make the same products. We are fully committed to further reducing our energy consumption," noted Mario Plourde, Cascades' President and CEO. CIPEC also recognized the Company in 2011, in the same category, as well as in 2016, when Cascades received the Corporate Stewardship Award. 

Cascades is the only North American paper manufacturer with a dedicated group of energy efficiency specialist employees. In 2004, the group acquired an energy investment fund that has so far undertaken more than 250 projects. In 2017 alone, the projects carried out at Cascades' manufacturing plants have reduced total annual consumption by 194,431 gigajoules, which is equal to the annual consumption of 1,781 Canadian households. Cascades' commitment does not stop there, however. In 2012, Cascades acquired an integrated management system (EMS), which has been deployed through an operational excellence program. Since 2016, the process has been gradually integrated into the paper mill operations, and the Company's goal is to have it applied within all of its paper mills by the end of 2018. Implementation of this avant-garde approach once again attests to the concrete and measurable efforts Cascades undertakes on behalf of the environment.

Cascades participates in Canada's ENERGY STAR for Industry program
Cascades is the first manufacturer to respond positively to Natural Resources Canada's call for participation in Canada's ENERGY STAR for Industry program. Launched a few months ago, the program is designed to foster a greater contribution from Canadian industry in the transition to a carbon-lean, clean-growth economy. To date, Cascades is the only Canadian firm that has signed up for the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. It has committed to achieving a 10% reduction in energy intensity at its twelve Canadian plants within 5 years. "Cascades' participation in the ENERGY STAR program demonstrates our strong drive to keep doing more. In recent years, we have progressively implemented energy management systems, introduced an integrated procedure into our paper mill operations, and carried out energy kaizens. Technology is evolving, along with good practices. Being part of a group like this means we can work with the best and maintain our leadership position," highlighted Fabien Demougeot, technical services manager at Cascades CS+.

Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. The Company employs 11,000 women and men, who work in close to 90 production units 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.

Website: 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

SOURCE Cascades Inc.