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Wind of change

Cascades’ environmental commitment, supported by over 45 years of recycling experience and ongoing research and development, are strengths that enable us to create increasingly sustainable products.As part of the energy- and resource-intensive paper industry, we have a responsibility

to lighten our footprint every step of the way. By continuously optimizing energy, � ber

and water use. By minimizing ef� uents and air emissions. And by reporting honestly

on everything we do. As always, Cascades’ actions continue to be guided by conviction

and vision rather than circumstance and fashion.

GREEN BY NATUREtm

1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

REDUCED THE INTENSITY OF ITS GREENHOUSE GAS

EMISSIONS by 6% in 2008.

PARTICIPATES in the Carbon Disclosure Project. Since

2006, Cascades has been REPORTING ITS GREENHOUSE

GAS EMISSIONS along with measures it is taking to

address them.

IMPROVED ITS TRUCK FLEET’S PERFORMANCE by installing

aerodynamic side skirts. This REDUCED FUEL CONSUMPTION

BY 6% on average, eliminating 664 tons of greenhouse gas

emissions annually—the EQUIVALENT OF 110 FEWER CARS

ON THE ROAD. In fact, Cascades trucks produce 8.5% LESS CO2

than the average U.S. truck 1.

CONSERVING WATER

PURIFYING AIR

CONSUMES an average of 10 m3 of water per metric ton of

paper—80% LESS than the North American paper industry average.

Two of our tissue mills consume even less than 10 m3.

USES NO CHLORINE-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS in the

bleaching process of our tissue products. It protects our ef� uents

from forming toxic substances (dioxins, furans...) which are known

cancer-causing agents.

RECEIVED PROCESSED CHLORINE FREE (PCF) certi� cation—

North River ® is the FIRST AND ONLY tissue brand to be certi� ed PCF.

COLLABORATES with an academic consortium to develop a

“water index” for life cycle analysis—a � rst step toward IMPROVED

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY.

8.5BILLIONKWHthe average annual

energy consumption of

773,000 U.S. households (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY)

28.8BILLION GALLONS OF WATERthe volume of almost

29 NYC Central Park

Reservoirs(CENTRALPARK.COM)

650MILLIONPOUNDS OF C02

or 132 roundtrip �ights

between New York

and Sydney, Australia

in a Boeing 747 with

416 passengers(CARBONPLANET.COM)

7.1BILLION POUNDS OF LANDFILL WASTEthe weight of 10 Empire

State Buildings (NEWYORKTRANSPORTATION.COM)

OVER 37 MILLION TREESthe equivalent of 1,150 NYC1 Central Parks, or 60 Stanley Parks in Vancouver,

British Columbia2(1 CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY / 2 VANCOUVER PARK BOARD)

SOURCES: CASCADES’ 2008 REPORT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

AND 2008 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

REDUCED ITS ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 8.5% in 2008—

further reducing its carbon emissions.

INVESTS in RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES through its

34% interest in Boralex, which carries out environmentally sound,

community-based energy projects.

CONVERTS ITS RESIDUES TO GAS jointly with Boralex.

This pilot gasi�cation facility plans on PRODUCING STEAM

FOR PAPER MANUFACTURING.

IS THE ONLY paper company in North America to have

its own pool of ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPERTS.

USES 2.2 MILLION SHORT TONS OF RECYCLED FIBER

EACH YEAR—73% of the raw material used in the manufacturing

process of our products.

SAVES over 37 MILLION TREES annually.

RECOVERS on AVERAGE 62% OF PLANT WASTE. Four of

our tissue mills have even achieved a recovery rate higher

than 96%. Our residues are reused to enrich the soil, fertilize

farmland, fuel biomass boilers and restore damaged sites.

LAUNCHED the �rst certi�ed 100% POST-CONSUMER

FIBER hand towel product.

SAVINGENERGY

PROTECTINGTHE EARTH

By recycling 2.2 million Short tons of recycled fiber, instead of using virgin �ber, Cascades saves annually:(BASED ON THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF CASCADES TISSUE GROUP)

North River® is a complete line of quality

products for the away-from-home market,

including: bathroom tissue hand towels

napkins facial tissue wipers.

All North River® products are made with 100%

recycled �ber with a high post-consumer content.

With so many tissue products claiming green bene�ts, environmentally conscious users want assurance that

these claims are supported with action. Cascades’ North River® towel and tissue products are among the

most environmentally responsible products available. North River® is the �rst and only brand to be certi�ed

Processed Chlorine Free, Green Seal® and EcoLogoM. Moreover, North River® is the answer to the growing

problem of greenhouse gas emissions and is also the �rst and only brand to offset 100% of the electricity used

for its production with Green-e certi�ed renewable wind energy. This helps to reduce our carbon footprint—and

yours—for a more sustainable future.

POWERED BY THE WIND OF

CHANGE

An excellent source of

RECYCLED FIBER!North River® Ivory hand towels are known for

their 100% post-consumer recycled content.

Unique in the market. Exclusive to Cascades.

The perfect match!With their lower cost-per-use, Tandem® systems

deliver unmatched environmental bene�ts.

So you can be green and realize more savings.

Controlled paper release drives down consumption.

A case of Tandem will dry 57% more hands than a case

of folded towels.

Window template lets you share your environmental

commitment.

®

North River® products not only comply with our industry’s third-party certi�cations and

standards—they actually far exceed their requirements. Cascades has a long history

of setting the bar higher than industry standards. In fact we are eager to share our

environmental record, as evidenced by the annual publication of our prize-winning

Sustainable Development Report.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) provides a comprehensive evaluation of a product’s overall environmental impact. We believe

that the most meaningful certi�cation programs should eventually embrace the LCA concept. As a pioneer of sustainable

development, we have already begun to integrate LCA in our daily operations, particularly through our partnership with

CIRAIG (the Interuniversity Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services). Cascades has also joined the

Life Cycle Initiative, associated with the United Nations Environment Programme, which works to broaden and share

knowledge about life cycle practices.

BEYONDCERTIFICATIONS

THIRD-PARTY ENVIRONMENTALCERTIFICATIONS

SOURCE: WWW.GREEN-E.ORG AND 2009-2010 ESTIMATED ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

FOR MANUFACTURING NORTH RIVER® PRODUCTS.

GREEN-ERENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS –WHAT THEY SAVEBy buying 18,000 megawatt hours of Green-e certi�ed renewable

energy credits, we will shrink our carbon footprint by preventing

the release of 11,125 metric tons of CO2 (24.5 million lbs.).

THAT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF:

not driving a car for

44 MILLION KM(27.8 million miles)

or planting 

3 MILLION trees.

Resources Used for Production

Minimum Recycled Content

Minimum Post-Consumer Content

Chain of Custody for All Raw Materials

Energy Consumption

Certi�ed Renewable Energy Use

Maintenance of Sustainable Forests

(virgin �ber)N/A

(100% recycled)

Water Quality

Prohibits Chlorine Compounds

Ef�uent Content Restrictions

Water Usage

Permits/Violations

Waste Reduction

Removal of Solid Waste

Bene�cial Use of Residual Waste

Air Quality

Regulatory Emissions Compliance

Permits/Violations

Other Product Requirements

Packaging Requirements

No Pigments, Dyes or Fragrances

Product Performance Standards

CHARTINGOUR IMPACT

ENVI

RONM

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MEASURING UP

How do you measure up? Visit

www.northriverwind.com to

calculate your environmental

savings when you buy

North River® products.

23 TREES 28,600 GALLONS

(108,263 L)

OF WATER—

THE AVERAGE

CONSUMPTION

OF A FOUR-PERSON

HOUSEHOLD

OVER 263 DAYS

674 LBS.

(306 KG)

OF GREENHOUSE

GAS EMISSIONS—

OR 768 MILES

(1,236 KM)

NOT DRIVEN

PER YEAR

8,029 KWH

OF ENERGY—

THE AVERAGE

CONSUMPTION

OF A 100 W

LIGHT BULB

OVER NINE YEARS

8,109 LBS.

(3,678 KG)

OF LANDFILL

WASTE—THE

WEIGHT OF

203 18-LITER

JUGS OF WATER

WHAT’S MORE!Thanks to North River’s

use of wind energy,

those same

100 cases save:

AN ADDITIONAL

1,803 LBS. OF

GREENHOUSE GAS

EMISSIONS

THE EQUIVALENT

OF PLANTING

224 TREES.

Compared to recycled paper, the manufacture of virgin �ber paper is far more resource-intensive.

Thanks to our sustainable manufacturing process, on average, 100 cases of North River®

products (versus 100% virgin �ber products) save:

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

Recognized internationally by architects,

developers and building managers, LEED®

(Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design) is the accepted benchmark for the

design, construction and operation of high

performance green buildings. In fact there

are over 20,000 registered LEED® projects

in North America and over 2,500 certi�ed

projects.1 In 2010, approximately 10%

of commercial construction starts will

be green.2

CASCADES BUILDS

GREEN CONSCIOUSNESSCascades joined the U.S. and Canadian

Green Building Councils, which administer

the LEED® programs in North America,

to support green initiatives led by these

organizations. Thanks to their environmental

attributes, the speci�cation and use of

North River® and Tandem® products multiply

the opportunities to meet LEED® for Existing

Buildings (EB): Operations & Maintenance

(O&M) rating system requirements.

1 USGBC/CAGBC FACTS, 2009

2 MCGRAW-HILL GREEN BUILDING SMARTMARKET REPORT 2006

North River® PUTS YOU IN THE LEEDThe potential contribution when using

North River® and Tandem® products

for the LEED®-EB:O&M rating system

is 19 points and 3 prerequisites out of

a total of 92 points and 9 prerequisites,

divided into 6 categories.

North River® and Tandem®

CATEGORY POINTS

MR: Materials & Resources up to 8 points

EQ: Indoor Environment Quality up to 6 points

IO: Innovation in Operations up to 5 points

Total 19SOURCE: LEED®-EB:O&M (USGBC)

Our Lachute, Quebec mill’s extension

will be the �rst paper manufacturing

facility to obtain LEED®-New

Construction (NC) certi�cation in

the paper industry of North America.1

A new extension of more than

6,800 m2 (74,000 sq.ft.).

1 PROJECT REGISTERED 10/15/2008 UNDER LEED CANADA-NC 1.0 RATING SYSTEM

END USER

HOUSEHOLD ANDCOMMERCIAL WASTE

CASCADES RECOVERY

SHIPPING

PAPER RECYCLING

PRODUCTION

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLEWorking closely with Metro Waste and Cascades Recovery, we are the largest

paper collector in Canada. Our 19 centers collect a wide range of materials in

major cities across Canada and the northeastern United States.

The U.S. paper recycling rate was 57.4% in 2008, according to recent statistics from the American Forest & Paper

Association (AF&PA), with paper accounting for 25% of all land�ll waste and one third of municipal land�ll waste.

By closing the loop of the “virtuous circle,” we help to reduce the ecological impact of these materials on our cities

as well as on their waste management costs. What’s more, by controlling the quality and supply of raw material,

we also reduce Cascades’ vulnerability to �uctuations in the supply chain.

GLOSSARYClimate Change – Human activity is altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build-up of greenhouse gases that trap heat and re�ect it back to the Earth’s surface. The result of this changes our climate, including a rise in global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events. www.ec.gc.ca

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) – A naturally occurring gas, as well as a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal greenhouse gas that affects the Earth’s radiative balance (U.S. EPA Glossary of Climate Change Terms).

EcoLogo – One of North America’s most widely recognized certi�cations of environmental leadership. Certi�cation standards focus on the production process, with fewer requirements for the end product. www.ecologo.org

Ef�uent – Generally designates the treated process water, which is �ltered and then released into sewers or the environment. www.cascades.com

Ecological Footprint – Resource management tool that measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technology. www.footprintnetwork.org

Greenhouse-Gas Effect – Phenomenon in which part of the heat forming from the sun is trapped by the earth’s surface. The accumulation of several gases forms a layer that acts as a cover that prevents heat from escaping. When excess greenhouse gases are released, the layer becomes more opaque and retains too much heat, leading to global warming. www.ec.gc.ca

Greenwashing – The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental bene�ts of a product or service. www.terrachoice.com

Green Seal – Independent American non-pro�t organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, the purchase and the use of environmentally responsible products and services. www.greenseal.org

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) – The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) de�nes life cycle assessment (LCA) as: “Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle” (ISO 14040:1997). www.ciraig.org

LEED® – Third-party certi�cation program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000, LEED certi�cation offers third-party validation of a project’s green features and veri�es that the building is operating the way it was designed to. www.usgbc.org / www.cagbc.org

Pre-Consumer Material (Post-Industrial) – Material recycled prior to use by the consumer, i.e., industrial scrap material left over from an industrial process that is not capable of being reused or reprocessed within the same plant (e.g., boxboard trim). www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Post-Consumer Material (PCW) – Waste material that has served its intended purpose and has been separated from solid waste to be recycled into new material (e.g., of�ce waste). www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Processed Chlorine Free – Certi�cation from the Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA), which indicates that no chlorine or chlorine derivative was used in manufacturing the paper. Cascades uses hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrosulphite instead of chlorine when producing bleached pulp. www.chlorinefreeproducts.org

Renewable Energy – Generally refers to electricity supplied from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and various forms of biomass. These energy sources are considered renewable sources because they are continuously replenished on the Earth. Renewable energy with less environmental impact is usually quali�ed as green energy. www.epa.gov

2009/08