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SAINTE-CATHERINE, Quebec — Saint-Gobain Canada, leader in light and sustainable construction, announces today the launch of its new CertainTeed Recycle program in Quebec, through its subsidiary CertainTeed Canada, to help the construction industry divert gypsum waste from landfills.
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Following a successful pilot program with the city of Sainte-Catherine, CertainTeed’s plant on the south shore of Montreal obtained approval from the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) to start receiving clean gypsum waste to be recycled and reintroduced in the production of its gypsum wallboards.
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The permit will allow CertainTeed’s gypsum recycling program to divert up to 80,000 tonnes of gypsum waste per year when the program reaches full maturity.
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“As part of our unwavering commitment to make the Canadian built environment more sustainable and resilient, we are immensely proud at Saint-Gobain Canada to expand our gypsum recycling program today to the province of Quebec,” says Jean-Claude Lasserre, CEO, Saint-Gobain Canada. “Reducing our dependency on finite natural resources by reinforcing circular economy loops in our supply chain is one of the many ways we can contribute to Saint-Gobain’s global ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and support lowering our industry’s carbon footprint.”
Article contentExpanding a successful recycling partnershipArticle content
CertainTeed Canada is officially launching its program with the support of its trusted recycling partner, New West Gypsum Recycling, that will run the gypsum recycling line at its Sainte-Catherine plant in the Greater Montreal Area.
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**Lesser-known fact**
When properly triaged gypsum can be recycled infinitely and reintroduced in gypsum wallboards production without altering their performance, reducing dependance on virgin raw material and supporting lower life-cycle environmental impacts.
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Both partners will build off the success of the existing recycling partnership with New West Gypsum in Vancouver, which surpassed 1,000,000 tonnes of recycled gypsum put back into production ack in 2023 – equivalent to an estimated amount of gypsum required to build approximately 250,000 new homes.
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“New West Gypsum Recycling is proud to expand its gypsum recycling operations in the province of Quebec with CertainTeed, keeping gypsum debris out of landfills and returning it to the manufacture of new wallboard,” shared Michael McCamley, Vice President of Global Business Development, New West Gypsum Recycling.
Article contentActively reducing Construction, Renovation & Demolition (CRD) waste in landfillsArticle content
According to RECYC-QUÉBEC, nearly 250,000 tonnes of gypsum waste are sent to landfills every year in Quebec. Gypsum waste disposed in landfills can contribute to the formation of hydrogen sulfide, a corrosive gas, increasing the risk of potential contamination of biogas produced at certain landfills, causing unpleasant odours and occupying limited landfill space that could otherwise be preserved.
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“Gypsum recycling represents a concrete opportunity to improve the circularity of construction materials while reducing pressure on landfill sites. This initiative is part of a necessary transition of the construction sector toward more circular practices, where residual materials can become valuable resources. RECYC-QUÉBEC welcomes this type of commitment and is proud to support it through its financial assistance programs,” added Emmanuelle Géhin, President and Chief Executive Officer, RECYC-QUÉBEC.
Article contentThe right industry partners to build a circular ecosystemArticle content
As part of the launch, CertainTeed is partnering with one of Canada’s leading general contractors, Pomerleau, to divert gypsum waste from their job sites. Pomerleau is a partner that is committed, like Saint-Gobain, to attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 with a clear sustainable development plan that guides their actions by placing environmental and social issues at the heart of their projects.
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CertainTeed is looking to continue working with like-minded and sustainability-oriented partners to divert and recycle gypsum waste from their job sites. Contractors interested in participating in the CertainTeed Recycle program can contact CertainTeed Canada’s team to start their recycling journey.
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To further support the launch of the CertainTeed Recycle Program and to make gypsum recycling more accessible to contractors, a series of bins will be deployed on the south shore of Montreal at selected construction material distributors to collect clean gypsum waste at no cost, including:
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- Manugypse (1289 Rue Newton, Boucherville)
- Proulx (2800, boul Ford, Châteauguay)
- Pont Masson (2715 Bd Monseigneur-Langlois, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield)
Article contentAnother concrete milestone for the betterment of our sustainable operationsArticle content
As part of CertainTeed Sainte-Catherine’s gypsum wallboards Life Cycle Assessment action plan, the launch of the gypsum recycling program is adding to the concerted efforts that led to the inauguration in September 2025 of North America’s first zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) gypsum wallboard plant and the largest plant of its kind in the world.
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- The transformative upgrades saw the CertainTeed plant located outside of Montreal completely electrify its operations to now be fully powered by renewable electricity;
- The numerous facility upgrades to support the electrification and decarbonization of the CertainTeed Sainte-Catherine operations also helped decrease energy usage by up to 30% and boost production capacity by up to 40%;
- With the new process and equipment, CertainTeed’s plant has reduced its CO2 emissions by 44,000 tons per year – which is equivalent to the average emissions of 14,000 cars annually;
- This milestone also marked the launch of a new Infinaé CarbonLow gypsum wallboard category in Canada that is estimated to have up to 60% less embodied carbon cradle-to-gate.