The expansion of Cascades Tissue Group’s plant in Lachute, Québec, has received a LEED Gold certification, and is the first paper manufacturing facility to obtain LEED-NC (New Construction) certification in the Canadian paper industry. The 6,800-sq.-m expansion project enacted several efforts to reduce its ecological footprint, including the reduction of its drinking water consumption, evaluated at 46.57 per cent; the use of regional materials, with 47.08 per cent of costs used for the purchase of materials produced and extracted locally; the presence of certified wood, accounting for 96.36 per cent of total cost for materials.
The project was also acknowledged because it offers a 58 per cent reduction in energy costs, when compared to a Canadian reference building. The CaGBC applauded the fact that 86.6 per cent of the construction waste was diverted from landfill.
“We are honored to receive this certification, which reflects our numerous efforts to protect the environment and to make sustainable development a priority,” added Alain Lemaire, president and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades. “The new plant expansion not only meets the strict standards set by the LEED-NC rating system, but also helps to sustain the local economy, while respecting the building’s more than hundred-year-old heritage and its contribution to the community.”