ENVIRONMENT
Green is a fundamental value at Lauzon, and we have been committed
to responsible and sustainable practices since our inception.
Eco-Responsible Forest Management
We own and manage forest land spanning two million acres in the Outaouais region of Quebec. Our Canadian maple and red oak floors have the shortest carbon path in the industry due to our integration and close proximity.
Our sound forest management is based on a 25-year harvest cycle. To promote the growth of young shoots we reap less than 30% of the trees within an area of 2.5 acres. This fallow cultivation method and gardening process allows younger, more vigorous trees to grow, keeping the forest in better condition for generations to come.
Our environmental management practices are ISO 14001 certified. This includes the assessment of ecological impact plus ongoing actions to improve our environmental record.
Benefits For The Forest
Unlike petroleum products such as vinyl and synthetic carpets, wood is a renewable natural resource that does not emit any pollutants. On the contrary, trees help to purify the air. During their growth, trees convert CO2 into oxygen. However, mature trees lose this ability. When they die and decompose, they release carbon dioxide that they have accumulated over time into the environment.
This is to say that at the end of its growth, a tree no longer gives off oxygen and no longer purifies the air. Cutting it down means making space for young trees that are still active. When we turn a mature tree into a floor, it stores carbon forever. Therefore, true to our principles of responsible forest management, we promote the life cycle of the forest through our forestry activities with a view to renewing resources and contributing to the preservation of natural resources for future generations.
All the wood we process, whether Canadian or imported, comes from forests managed according to the strictest sustainable development practices. Lauzon is also proud to be compliant with the United States Lacey Act compliance which ensures that a Lauzon floor is made from wood that comes from legal sources and is responsibly harvested and processed.
Optimize Raw Material
Thanks to our state-of-the-art sawmill, the largest in Canada, we can precisely adapt production to meet demand. The goal is to maximize the yield of each log. In fact, we use 80% of the logs harvested, compared to the industry average of approximately 45%.
This difference is by no means insignificant considering that Lauzon’s production of hardwood represents 14% of the Canadian total.
Recycle And Reuse
To reduce our environmental footprint as much as possible, we have adopted a rigorous zero-waste policy. All wood residue from production is converted into our main source of energy, powering production dryers and heating factories. The residue is also transformed into a carbon neutral fuel for wood pellet stoves.
The knowledge of local climatic conditions allows us to take advantage of temperature and wind patterns so we can dry wood naturally. This means the wood will stays in the kiln for a shorter period of time reducing our energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
Wood Pellets
Faithful to our zero-waste policy, we transform wood scraps into highly efficient and low polluting densified hardwood pellets. Lauzon Recycled Energy Wood is a specialized company that outperforms all North American producers of 100% hardwood pellets. Lauzon pellets are made from slow growing Nordic tree species and lead the market in heat output (BTU) and burn time.