Montreal, Sept. 29, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – TC Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A) (TSX: TCL.B) is proud to have won yesterday the Mercure award in the “Innovative Manufacturers – Large Business” category, in recognition of innovation in the Corporation’s Packaging Sector to promote sustainability and a circular economy. The prestigious Mercuriades business competition is held by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). The Mercure for “Innovative Manufacturers”, presented by Investissement Québec, is awarded to a company that exemplifies strategic vision and capacity for technological innovation to optimize the performance of its products and services.
“I’m extremely proud that TC Transcontinental has received this recognition from Québec’s business community,” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “We invest millions of dollars annually in research and development in our Packaging Sector to fund innovation and broaden our offering of recyclable, postconsumer recycled content, or compostable plastic packaging products. The introduction of such new products under the vieVERTe brand contributes to reduce our environmental footprint. In addition, we became a player in plastic recycling this year, with the creation of a Recycling Group within TC Transcontinental Packaging and the purchase of the assets from Montréal-based company Enviroplast. Our objective is to vertically integrate the recycling of plastics in our packaging production chain, thus ultimately ensuring us of a stable procurement of recycled resin.”
The Corporation’s Packaging Sector is mainly located in the United States, Latin America and Canada, and now represents more than half of the Corporation’s revenues. “Through manufacturing expertise and technological innovation, we are developing eco-responsible products for our local and international customers, in line with the ecological transition of our products and services,” explained Thomas Morin, President, TC Transcontinental Packaging. “Year after year, we are winning prestigious awards internationally for excellence in flexible packaging thanks to the outstanding achievements of our teams.”
TC Transcontinental Packaging notably won Gold for Sustainability for a second year in a row, as well as the Gold award for Packaging Excellence and the Silver award for Technical Innovation for the Harney & Sons tea pouch at the 2019 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards. This loose tea flexible pouch is one of the first-in-market, 100% recyclable, multilayer barrier stand-up food pouches. TC Transcontinental Packaging also won at the same contest in 2018 the Gold award for Sustainability with its compostable peanut bag which replaces current laminated polypropylene bags that are diverted to landfill. More recently, TC Transcontinental is also an early mover with the creation of Totalflex, a new line of protective packaging with active ingredients for banana production in Latin America. This packaging optimizes banana protection and preservation in order to avoid food waste. Also in 2019, the Corporation replaced the Publisac’s plastic bag, made in Asia from virgin resin, by a bag produced in its plants in Québec, made entirely from recycled plastic and still 100% recyclable and reusable.
TC Transcontinental was the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, committing to the vision that, by 2025, 100% of its plastic packaging be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
The Mercuriades competition pays tribute to the excellence and know-how of companies that contribute to Québec’s development. In April 2015, Isabelle Marcoux, now Chair of the Corporation’s Board of Directors, was the recipient of the “Germaine-Gibara Leadership – Large Business” Mercure award, recognizing the exceptional contribution of a businesswoman. In 1988, Transcontinental Inc. was the recipient of the Mercure for “Business of the Year – SMB”. In addition, in 2016, the Corporation won the “Business Transfer” Mercure award which recognizes a company that has successfully transferred powers while securing its future through a development or growth plan.