Minister Lametti Announces $10 Million for North America’s First Facility to Produce 100-Percent Recycled Kraft Saturating Board Products

From: Natural Resources Canada

News release

February 10, 2023                                                     Montreal, Quebec                                                  Natural Resources Canada

The Canadian forest sector plays a vital role in providing sustainable resources and materials for Canadian and global markets. From energy-efficient construction, to recyclable everyday items, to new environmentally friendly designs and innovations, the Government of Canada continues to support this sector and the workers who power it.

Kraft paper products like construction board, cardboard folding boxes and packaging for food and beverage items are extremely durable and commonly used. As we ban harmful single-use plastics, sustainable and recyclable alternatives are becoming more important than ever.

That’s why today, Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Honourable David Lametti, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced a federal contribution of $10 million to Kruger Packaging L.P. for the transformation of the Kruger Place Turcot Mill in Montreal into North America’s first mill to produce 100-percent recycled saturating kraft.

The contribution is made through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, which supports Canada’s forest sector in remaining globally competitive through targeted investments in advanced technologies. 

This innovative change puts Kruger Place Turcot Mill on the map globally. Not only is Kruger the only consumer of recycled old corrugated containers in the greater Montreal region, with its new state-of-the-art machine-learning and artificial intelligence technologies it will also increase productivity, reduce mill waste and diversify its product line to meet growing markets for new saturating paper grades. As the first North American paper mill to manufacture 100-percent recycled saturating kraft, Kruger Place Turcot Mill is expected to see emissions reductions of approximately 2,200 tonnes per year through this project, which is the equivalent of preventing over one million kilograms of coal from being burned annually. 

The mill’s transformation will be completed in 2025 and is yet another example of how made-in-Canada solutions keep our air clean, grow our economy and create good, middle-class jobs.

Quotes

“The Government of Canada is partnering with industry and workers to reduce emissions and create better products to meet global demand. Today, we announced a $10-million investment in Kruger Place Turcot Mill in Montreal. This investment will result in a state-of-the art recycled product while reducing emissions and supporting good jobs.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources

“It was a pleasure to announce our government is investing in Ville-Émard by providing $10 million to support an industrial retooling project. The transformation of Kruger Place Turcot Mill will result in more sustainable recycled products that will save trees, supply global markets and support good jobs for our community of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun and all of Montreal.”

The Honourable David Lametti
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

“The Government of Canada's support, through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program and its team of experts, will help Kruger achieve its objective of becoming the first Canadian producer of saturating kraft paper made entirely from recycled materials. Manufacturing this specialized paper at our Place Turcot Mill will allow us to meet the ever-rising demand for sustainably produced materials. We totally share the Government of Canada’s goal, as outlined in the IFIT program, to participate in the diversification of the Canadian forest industry and promote clean technology for a better future.”

Maxime Cossette
Corporate Vice-President, Fibre, Biomaterials and Sustainability, Kruger Packaging

Quick facts

  • The Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program facilitates the adoption of transformative technologies and products by bridging the gap between development and commercialization. 

  • The IFIT program aims to create a more competitive and resilient forest sector with a focus on low-carbon projects that result in new or diversified revenue streams.

  • Kruger is a diversified family company whose mission is to transform renewable resources into sustainable, high-quality essentials for everyday life. These include a wide array of paper-based products, green energy, eco-friendly packaging products and cellulosic biomaterials.

  • In Canada, up to 15 billion plastic checkout bags are used every year and approximately 16 million straws are used daily. Single-use plastics like these make up most of the plastic litter found on shorelines across Canada. Sales of single-use flexible plastic straws will be restricted as of December 2023.

  • Moving toward a more circular economy for plastics could reduce carbon emissions by 1.8 megatonnes annually, generate billions of dollars in revenue and create approximately 42,000 jobs by 2030.

Associated links

Contacts

Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Keean Nembhard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
613-323-7892
keean.nembhard@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

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