The paper industry is among the most resource-intensive industries in manufacturing, both in its use of energy and water. As such, sustainability efforts by companies that operate in this sector offer opportunities both for big gains and big improvements.
Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls, Quebec, is among manufacturers that are responding to such opportunities. To a degree, it always has. The company, which produces packaging and paper products largely from recycled fibers, got its start as a recycling business.
Today, sustainable development remains a key focus, according to Steve Ott, sustainable business development manager for Cascades Tissue Group's U.S. Away-From-Home (Commercial) Division. Products produced by his division typically are one-time-use items unlike printing paper, for example, which may be recycled six or seven times.
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| Steve Ott: "We feel we are ideally positioned right now for where the market has been orienting itself." |
He recently discussed the topic of sustainability with IndustryWeek, sharing activities under way both at Cascades Tissue Group's Away-From-Home Division and at Cascades Inc.
Sustainable Manufacturing
"Since [Cascades Inc.] began our paper operations, we have been focused almost exclusively on manufacturing papers from 100% recycled fiber material," with high post-consumer content, Ott says. Using recycled fibers allows the company to produce its product using significantly less water than what is typical in virgin fiber manufacturing because recycled fibers bypasses the pulping process. He says the company also reprocesses its water 40 times on average before discharge.
"Another key part of our green manufacturing process is the fact that we are process chlorine free,'" with respect to bleaching recycled fiber, he says. As a result, the processing creates fewer harmful byproducts, he says. "In terms of processing our paper, we use no chlorine or chlorine-containing compounds."
Using recycled fibers is not without its challenges. Recycled fibers are not inherently as strong as virgin fiber because they are shorter "and in some cases may even have been recycled up to five times," Ott says. Ultimately, even recycled fibers have an end to their lifecycle.
The variation in recycled paper grades also presents a potential challenge, one that Cascades largely avoids because it is vertically integrated. A significant portion of its raw materials comes from its own waste-recovery efforts.
Additionally, in the case of Cascades North River brand, 100% of the electricity used to produce the products is offset with certified renewable wind energy.
