Formica Canada and Broadview Materials Group Reduce Carbon Emissions by 30%

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, June 17, 2025 — Formica Canada is proud to share, for the fourth consecutive year, the significant progress it has made in reducing carbon emissions. For the first time, the report consolidates results across the Broadview Materials Group, highlighting both the collective efforts of the organization and the tangible, global impact of its initiatives. 

The group’s carbon reduction strategy is built on two main pillars: improving energy and material efficiency and replacing high-impact inputs. Efficiency improvements are the first lever in reducing a product’s environmental footprint by lowering energy and raw material requirements. The company has identified various opportunities to improve the energy performance of its industrial equipment and has launched several innovative projects that leverage modern technologies and smart system design. 

The group is also actively working to replace high-impact energy sources, particularly natural gas, and to avoid energy waste — for example, by recovering and reusing heat. As a result of these efforts, the group’s carbon emissions decreased from 420 kt CO₂ eq. in 2019 to 292 kt CO₂ eq. in 2023 — a 30% reduction, equivalent to 128 kt CO₂ eq.

Innovative Projects at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Plant

Several initiatives have been implemented at the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant to significantly reduce natural gas consumption in operations.

Energy Optimization of Presses

Hot water storage tanks have been added to the press heating system to recover and reuse water during the next production cycle. This upgrade helps retain more energy within the system, significantly reduces steam demand on the boilers, and returns hotter water for reuse, thereby decreasing the energy required to convert it into steam. This project has reduced gas consumption by approximately 31,000 GJ/year — equivalent to 1.5 kt CO₂ eq/year — an 11% annual reduction in natural gas usage across the entire plant. 

Heat Exchangers on the Resin Impregnation Line 

A new set of heat exchangers has just been installed on the impregnation line, where resin is applied to paper. These exchangers preheat the supply air for existing ventilation units and recover heat from exhaust air to reduce energy consumption. The upgrade helps reduce the plant’s natural gas usage by an additional 5%.

Hot Water Production Using an RTO (regenerative thermal oxidizer)

During the resin impregnation process, volatile organic compounds are released and must be treated using a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) to comply with environmental regulations from Quebec’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. 

To reduce gas use in the plant’s thermal power system, Formica Canada will install a new air-to-water heat exchanger at the RTO outlet. The system will recover waste energy to preheat water in the accumulator upstream of the existing air-to-air exchanger. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Once operational, it is projected to reduce the plant’s annual gas consumption by another 5%. 

Once completed, these three projects will collectively reduce natural gas use at the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant by 20%. Formica Canada continues to evaluate additional opportunities to reduce gas usage and is planning further optimization initiatives in the coming years. 

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Plant Achieves Environmental Product Declaration Certification 

In 2022, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu facility — along with other laminate production plants within the Broadview Materials Group — earned Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification. This certification covers all aspects of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is subject to regular audits.

A Promising Future

In 2025, the group plans to reduce its emissions by an additional 35 to 40 kt CO₂ eq through the implementation of 49 new projects across its facilities. After factoring in reductions achieved in 2024 and those planned for 2025, a further reduction potential of 126 kt CO₂ eq remains, broken down as follows: 

• 10% through energy optimization 
• 5% through material efficiency initiatives 
• 70% through use of lower-impact raw materials 
• 15% through adoption of renewable energy sources 

The greatest gains are expected to come from cutting-edge solutions — such as bio-based materials and electrification — that minimize environmental impact. In addition, selecting suppliers with strong environmental performance will be key to achieving overall goals. 

“Formica Canada is proud to be part of a group that prioritizes reducing the environmental impact of its operations while improving our production processes and business practices. We will continue to invest in sustainable development through innovation — both to serve our customers and reach our environmental goals,” said Christelle Locat-Rainville, Marketing Director at Formica Canada. 

For more information, see the full report: https://www.nemho.com/sustainability/group-position-paper/

About Formica Canada Inc. 
Formica Canada Inc., part of the Broadview Materials family of companies, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. Formica Canada is a proud partner of the Well Made Here program. For more information about Formica Canada Inc., its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA™. 

About Broadview Materials 
Headquartered in Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch) in the Netherlands, Broadview is a holding company that pursues long-term growth and value creation through active support of its operating companies. Broadview's family of companies covers two industry clusters: energy and materials technology. Broadview's materials technology businesses include Arpa, Trespa, Formica Group, Westag, Homapal and Direct Online Services. With combined sales of €1.2 billion and 6,000 employees, Broadview is a world leader in the surface materials market.