Tafisa Canada Receives Awards For Environmental Achievements

Tafisa Canada Receives Awards For Environmental Achievements LAC-MEGANTIC, QUEBEC – Tafisa Canada, owner and operator of North America’s largest particleboard and decorative panel manufacturing facility, has been recognized for environmental achievements by two separate organizations.

Tafisa has been named a finalist for the prestigious Phenix Award, awarded by the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks, the Quebec Ministry of Finance and Economy, Eco Entreprises Quebec and the Quebec Environment Foundation, to organizations that demonstrate excellence in environmental protection and sustainability.

One of three finalists in the business category, environmental achievement – selected from a list of 35 companies – Tafisa was chosen for the success of its landmark wood recycling technology, called Rewood. Following a $5.4 million upgrade, Tafisa was able to increase the post-consumer recycled wood fibre content in its panel production, enabling the company to recycle 244,000 tons of diverted wood each year – the equivalent of about two million trees.

The Phenix Award winners – which also include municipal, non-profit and educational/youth categories – Le dévoilement des lauréats de l'édition 2013 s'effectuera à l'occasion d'une cérémonie de remise de prix qui se tiendra au printemps à Québec, au salon rouge de l'Assemblée nationale en présence de représentants du gouvernement du Québec et des secteurs privé et public de l'environnement.will be announced later this spring at a ceremony in the Red Room of the National Assembly in Quebec City. The public is encouraged to vote for their Phenix People’s Choice award – awarded separately – by visiting http://www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/Phenix/concours-coup-coeur/phenix_vote.asp .

In a separate recognition, Tafisa employee Sylvain Martel, who has been a key force behind Tafisa’s Rewood project, has been awarded the prestigious Gino Mastro Award from the Regroupement des Récupérateurs et des Recycleurs de Matériaux de Construction et de Démolition du Québec (3R MCDQ).

Martel, Wood Supply Manager for Tafisa and a 14-year company employee is also a member of the 3RMCDQ’s board of directors and is president of the recycled wood workgroup. He received the lifetime achievement award – created in memory of entrepreneur and environmental visionary Gino Mastrogiuseppe – for his exceptional contribution to recycling and recovery.

In awarding Martel the Gino Mastrogiuseppe 2013, his 3RMCDQ’s colleagues saluted his tireless volunteer work and outstanding contribution to the development of expertise and promotion of recycled wood use in Québec. For 12 years, he promoted sustainable development and the benefits of recycling wood. “Today, more than 12 Quebec companies use recycled wood in their production process, recovering more than 900,000 tons of wood annually,” Martel explained, adding that the recycled wood is used in the manufacture of particleboard or green energy in place of being sent to dump sites.

“I’m only one part of a 325-employee team at Tafisa who are highly motivated to re-use wood and give new life to the forest,” Martel said upon receiving the award. “Without Tafisa’s Rewood program and the team behind it, I wouldn’t have an award.” 

Louis Brassard, Tafisa Chief Executive Officer, explained that Tafisa is one of the few plants in North America that are re-using wood to this extent. “We’re very proud of our company’s achievements to renew urban wood waste that would otherwise go to a landfill, eventually releasing harmful carbon emissions back into the air.”

Source: Tafisa Canada

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