East Angus, Monday - Alain Lemaire, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades, Mario Plourde, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Specialty Products Group, and Robert G. Roy, mayor of East Angus, will break ground today for a 10 million dollar investment at the Cascades East Angus mill. The investment will be used to build a recycled pulp unit that will enable the production of kraft type recycled pulp.

A new building will be added to the premises to house a pulper, loading platforms and a warehouse for waste paper. This unit will be able to convert daily more than 200 tonnes of old corrugated cardboard (OCC) into recycled pulp. This integration will also enable Cascades to increase the recycled content of its kraft papers from 43% to 70%.

Despite a difficult market, Cascades continues to invest in the production of environmentally sound paper products. "The East Angus plant initiated a shift a few years ago towards products that were more respectful of the environment. The integration of recycled content and the obtention of the FSC certification were some of the actions that were implemented, but also the reduction of water and energy consumption", commented Mario Plourde. Whether it is for the production of envelopes, bags, packaging or construction products, Cascades kraft papers will better serve its diversified customers by offering eco-friendly advantages.

Moreover, the old corrugated cardboard that will be converted will come from the companys sorting centers. "This investment integrates perfectly with our desire to include maximum recycled fibre content in our products, stated Alain Lemaire. It is an effective way of reusing local materials that would have probably ended up in a landfill site, while ensuring the longevity of the plant."

A large employer in the region, Cascades will make many people happy with this development which aims to invigorate. For the mayor of the city, "this project is to the credit of Cascades, by choosing this plant to make a major investment in order to ensure the survival of the first kraft paper mill in Canada."