Rona unveils policies pertaining to paper products use, sustainable packaging; goals include reducing paper consumption by 15% by 2014, reduce packaging by 5% globally by end of 2015

Cindy Allen

BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec , November 25, 2011 (Rona) – RONA inc. (TSX:RON)(TSX:RON.PR.A), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, revealed its new Paper Products Use and Procurement Policy and Sustainable Packaging Policy today. With these two new policies, RONA is taking concrete and significant steps toward the environment, besides the numerous initiatives already undertaken.

These two new policies are a continuation of the sustainable development policies RONA has implemented in recent years, including the Responsible Procurement Policy (RPP) which encompasses all of the company's procurement policies. Among the goals of these policies is to ensure that all products sold and used by RONA have the smallest impact possible on the environment. To this end, RONA has adopted the life cycle approach, a process that aims to minimize the environmental footprint of a product in all phases of its life cycle - from its inception to its ultimate disposal - by avoiding the transfer of negative environmental impacts.

"In recent years, RONA has implemented numerous initiatives to further its sustainable development objectives. Our adoption of the life cycle approach and implementation of procurement policies are the foundations of this approach," said Robert Dutton, President and CEO of RONA. "They provide us with a proper framework for our projects and ensure that we implement rigorous and structured initiatives. The two policies unveiled today are part of this overall vision," he added.

The Paper Products Use and Procurement Policy applies to the paper products used in RONA's activities and operations, those sold in its network of stores and those used by its suppliers to produce printed material for the company. Moreover, it targets two key objectives: promoting the responsible use of paper and promoting the responsible procurement of paper. To this end, tangible actions were clearly identified such as reducing paper consumption by 15, increasing paper recovery, maximizing recycled fibre content to reach 50% across Canada by choosing post-consumer recycled fibre, and favouring FSC certification for virgin fibre, to name but a few. These goals are to be reached by 2014.

For its part, the Sustainable Packaging Policy encompasses RONA's entire packaging system (primary, secondary and tertiary) and includes every type of material used for packaging. This policy targets responsible sourcing and ecodesign, and responsible use including, among other things, the reduction of overpackaging. Finally, it favours recovery and aims to improve recyclability, thereby reducing the overall environmental impact of its product packaging. RONA will reduce packaging by 10% on its private brand and by 5% globally by the end of 2015.

"With this paper policy, we want to promote good environmental practices among our suppliers while encouraging the use of post-consumer recycled paper to reduce pressure on our natural resources. For the packaging policy, we've chosen the optimization approach. While protecting the product through its handling and transport, we want to avoid excessive packaging. By co-operating closely with our suppliers and employees, we can successfully implement these policies and achieve the goals we've set for ourselves," Dutton added.

All of RONA's policies rely on the co-operation of its suppliers. In this regard, RONA gives preference to suppliers that integrate the life cycle approach into the design and production of their products. It should be noted that in developing these policies, RONA conducted extensive consultations with its stakeholders. Consequently, RONA is committed to keeping them informed regarding the use and procurement of paper products and will also produce transparent reports concerning its progress in implementing these policies and attaining its sustainability objectives.

For find out more about RONA's policies, the ECO product line and eco-responsible products, visit www.rona.ca/eco

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products and operates a network of more than 950 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 17 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates more than $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, visit www.rona.ca.

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