Valorize production residues

Management of material waste has become a focus as the organization has grown. Through this project, sawdust—one of the waste products from the fur preparation department—is reused through a partner within the agricultural sector.

The fur preparation department works with raw animal pelts so that they can be ready for conversion into accessories (boots, mittens, hats, etc.). The ultimate goal of the process is to clean and soften the hides. One of the last steps of preparation involves nourishing the leather through application of a fatty substance. The replenished pelts are then placed in a rotating drum with sawdust, which sloughs off excess grease and cleans them through the rotating action.

A more ecological input

Over the years, the volume of sawdust used has become a concern, and so to lower economic and environmental costs, BILODEAU Canada has developed various partnerships. First, sawdust is procured from P.W.I. Industries in Saint-Hyacinthe, which is a leader in the transformation of industrial wood waste. Their products are made using what is left over from companies that make wood floors and wood furniture, for example.

Two circularity loops, for a more circular economy

In the first stage of the sustainability cycle, BILODEAU Canada makes use of the sawdust to remove the excess grease needed for the nourishment of leather. To prevent the sawdust from then ending up in the landfill, another partnership was established with a local producer. The Grands Ducs Farm in Saint-Félicien recycles the sawdust as animal bedding before then using it as organic fertilizer in its fields. The concerted actions of all parties allow for the recycling of 8 to 10 tons of wood annually.