The Canada-based company Cascades has broken ground on a project that will produce recycled pulp from old corrugated containers (OCC). In an announcement May 31, Alain Lemaire, president and CEO of Cascades, Mario Plourde, president and COO of Cascades Specialty Products Group, and Robert Roy, mayor of East Angus, broke ground on the $10 million dollar investment at the company’s East Angus, Quebec, mill. The investment will be used to build a recycled pulp unit that will enable the company to produce kraft type recycled pulp.

A new building will be added to the premises to house a pulper, loading platforms and a warehouse for recovered fiber. When operational, the facility is expected to be able to convert more than 200 metric tons of OCC into recycled pulp a day. This integration will allow the company to increase the recycled content of its kraft papers from 43 percent to 70 percent.

"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 obtaining FSC certification were some of the actions that were implemented, but also the reduction of water and energy consumption,” says 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.”

The OCC used at the facility will come from the company's sorting centers. “This investment integrates perfectly with our desire to include maximum recycled fiber content in our products, says 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.”