MaintenanceSuppliesMag.com |

Tackling sustainability and “Greening” operations is a new focus for many businesses. However, there is much to be learned from those that have been at it since their inception. Cascades Tissue Group is one of those leaders.

So, what does leadership in sustainable development look like at Cascades Tissue Group? To start, its parent company Cascades is a pioneer when it comes to recycling and recovery programs. Second, the Tissue Group sets itself apart by having ambitious women lead the sustainability charge. Finally, the company has translated its Green actions into important stories for consumers.

Responsible from day 1

“The environment is in the company DNA,” says Jocelyne Pinsonneault, vice president of marketing at Cascades Tissue Group.

Cascades Inc., the parent company of the Tissue Group, dates back to 1957 when the Lemaire family began recovering household and industrial waste. What started as a small family recycling business has turned into a multinational packaging and tissue paper company.

Today, consumers can choose from bathroom tissue, facial tissue, kitchen towels and napkins that are fragrance-free, made with 100 percent recycled fibers, high post-consumer content and bleached without chlorine.

Women take on sustainability

Women have risen to the top of the Tissue Group and are demonstrating how true environmental leadership is working for Cascades. Suzanne Blanchet, president and chief executive officer, and Jocelyne Pinsonneault are two top executives at Cascades Tissue Group. They are also women who are changing the inside of the tissue-making industry.

Suzanne Blanchet joined Cascades in 1978 after having studied accounting and was named president and chief executive officer in 1997. She is the first female to become president of a paper manufacturer in North America.