Cascades Deinked Pulp Mill First in U.S. to Earn PCF Ranking

Algonquin, Illinois, USA, 06 September 2006 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA) announced today that Cascades Auburn Fiber Inc., located in Auburn, Maine, completed the Sustainable Manufacturing and Marketing Initiative (SMMI) TCF-PCF Certification third party auditing screen and passed the Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) requirements with a notable ranking of 1217 on a possibility of 1350.

Cascades Auburn Fiber is a leading deinked pulp provider in the northeast United States. By completing this audit, any and all of its customers can now take the next step to produce PCF Certified papers. As a customer of Cascades Auburn Fiber, the paper mills are able to rank their performance on multiple economic, social, and environmentally preferred attributes which provide distinct market development advantages. In choosing a product, the consumer will no longer have to guess about recycled content; post consumer fibers; chlorine free attributes; forestry, water and energy use; social responsibility factors; etc. These features are all accounted for under the SMMI TCF-PCF Auditing Principles.

UNIQUE CERTIFICATION

Cascades Auburn Fiber is the first deinked market pulp plant in the United States to receive the PCF Certification from CFPA. This certification guarantees Cascades Auburn Fiber's customers that the product they purchase meets or exceeds the stringent guidelines needed to make the PCF claim and to protect the environment: its production does not require any chlorinated product.

"When Cascades bought this mill, they envisaged that recycled pulp would be a growing market. Today, we can say that they were right. Reduce, recycle, re-use, recover - an integral part of sustainability; these are the major avenues that we intend to continue promoting through innovation and commitment to all of our customers, said Paul Deraiche, mill manager. "The CFPA accreditation is another step towards our goal of responsible citizenship, improving our quality of life and preserving the resources that will enable us to support the needs of society both today and tomorrow."

About Cascades Auburn Fiber

Cascades Inc. acquired the deinked pulp manufacturing systems in Auburn, Maine, from Stone and Webster in 1998. The mill today is an important contributor to the manufacturing and distribution of deinked pulp shipped in wet-lap form to converting plants for the manufacture of tissue paper, toweling, napkins, and also printing and writing papers made from recycled fibers. In a continued effort to improve their products and to satisfy consumers' demands to purchase products that decrease the impact of pollution on air, water, and soil, as specified in the CFPA guidelines, Cascades Auburn Fiber applied for CFPA TCF or PCF Mark Certification.

About the Chlorine Free Products Association

Founded in 1994, the CFPA, headquartered in Algonquin, Illinois,, is an internationally recognized not-for-profit trade association. The CFPA works with international experts involved in water and energy conservation, forestry, raw material management, pollution prevention, government, environment, academia, and corporate social responsibility. The CFPA standards measure sustainable manufacturing and environmental practices that improve the pulp and paper industry. CFPA is a leader in acknowledging the need for a third party chain of custody for raw materials, audits of processes, and in working towards promoting certified sustainable manufacturing process and products. CFPA has no financial interest in the products it certifies, in any manufacturer, or company.

Source: Cascades Inc.