SEPT-ÎLES, March 13, 2017 – After proudly renewing its ICI ON RECYCLE! certification, Aluminerie Alouette has reached a new milestone by achieving the gold level, the highest distinction awarded by the program. The smelter is the first private industrial company from the Côte-Nord to receive this recognition.
A leader of responsible environmental practices, Aluminerie Alouette has placed sustainable development at the core of its actions for more than 25 years. Reducing its environmental footprint is an integral part of the company’s business strategy, and it makes waste management a team endeavour. In fact, when the smelter began the certification process in 2008 and achieved level 1 (commitment), many employees pitched in to deploy numerous initiatives targeting continuous improvement. Since achieving level 2 (implementation) in 2009 and level 3 (performance) in 2010, Aluminerie Alouette has continued to perform, reaching the bronze, silver and, now, gold levels.
The performance-level certification is valid for three years and recognizes the excellence of the waste management efforts that all employees make every day with conviction. More specifically, as part of a continuous improvement project, we created new standardized sorting areas, which have contributed significantly to improving results. Since the last certification was last renewed, Aluminerie Alouette has reduced the amount of waste sent to the City of Sept-Îles’ engineered landfill by two thirds, primarily by reclaiming wood through a local supplier and raising employees’ awareness of waste sorting.
“The constant care that all our employees give to the environment is remarkable. Our results are proof that best practices are applied rigorously by everyone. We believe that it’s essential to preserve the environment in which we operate, out of respect for our host community, and we have done so for more than a quarter of a century,” says Dominique Denicourt, new Vice-President of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, and head of Health-Safety and Environment.
About ICI ON RECYCLE!
ICI ON RECYCLE! is an official recognition program of the Government of Quebec. It was established by RECYC-QUÉBEC to recognize the outstanding efforts of industries, businesses and institutions that have implemented responsible waste management measures in their facilities.
