2009

January 22, 2009 - RONA is helping Ontario communities reduce their environmental footprint

Over 600,000 lbs of used paint diverted from landfills since July; new program for recovery of batteries and blades

Mississauga, Ontario, January 22, 2009 – RONA inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian retailer and distributor of hardware, renovation and gardening products, is proud to be taking part in the ‘Do What You Can’ campaign, a new initiative under Ontario’s Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program aimed at making easier the recycling of old batteries, paint, solvents and other household hazardous waste. RONA, the first retailer to recover paint in Ontario as part of the MHSW program, has already received over 600,000 lbs of used paint since July 2008 in the province alone. Building on this success, RONA is announcing that it will be recovering single-use, rechargeable as well as tools’ batteries beginning March 1st in all its stores across Canada. As part of this initiative and with the support of suppliers, RONA is already recovering used tool blades across its stores.

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The recovery of tool blades as well as single-use, rechargeable and tools’ batteries is consistent with RONA’s life cycle approach, from which stems the Company’s various sustainable development initiatives. RONA, the leading paint retailer in Canada, is providing Ontario consumers with an economical and ecological alternative to burial in landfills or incineration by recovering paint in its stores, sending it to be reconditioned and eventually offering it back to consumers as recycled paint. Left unrecovered or disposed of improperly, old paint can pose a threat to the environment.

A similar process will be applied to batteries, which will see its components recycled and disposed of in an ecological manner. Tool blades are being reconditioned and offered back to consumers under the RONA ECO brand. Consumers who return used RONA ECO tool blades receive a credit applicable towards a new RONA ECO blade purchase. Products bearing the RONA ECO brand are much more environmentally friendly than equivalent conventional items, as they are selected based on a life-cycle analysis and a rigorous assessment process.

“Stewardship Ontario’s ‘Do What You Can’ campaign is a great fit with RONA’s recent initiatives aiming at helping consumers adopt eco-responsible comportments, including the launch of RONA ECO and eco-responsible products; our participation in energy-efficiency programs; the recovery of various hazardous waste and our new policies pertaining to wood products and pesticides,” said Claude Bernier, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Customer Innovations at RONA. “RONA is a leader in Canada when it comes to sustainable development, which we’ve been committed to for a long time. We participated in setting up Canada’s first paint recovery and reconditioning program in Quebec 10 years ago, and today we are very happy to be joining Ontario’s own program,” he concluded.

RONA’s commitment and concrete actions in promoting energy conservation in Ontario were recognized last November, when the Company was awarded the Certificate of Recognition for Energy Conservation in Ontario by the Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Mr. Peter Love. The certificate presentation took place in the context of RONA’s 2009 Spring Show held in Toronto, whose theme “Building Canada’s Future” reflected RONA’s commitment to sustainability.

Sustainable development part of RONA’s history

At RONA, sustainable development means growth for our communities and our employees, as well as respect for the environment. Adopting responsible practices in this field has always been a priority for the Company and our employees are constantly thinking about new, innovative ways to save energy, preserve the environment and promote responsible consumption.

On the environment side, the Company recently announced that it is to stop selling synthetic pesticides for cosmetic use in all its stores across Canada beginning July 1, 2009. As synthetic pesticides are taken off store shelves, RONA will continue to introduce alternatives and techniques to help consumers replace them. Raising consumer awareness on the importance of adopting responsible attitudes towards the environment as well as employee education and training are key components of this initiative.

RONA has also introduced a new Policy on forest products, stating what criteria the Company is adopting for its procurement of wood products that are for sale across stores from its network. RONA adopted an inclusive approach which recognizes all three certifications—the Forest Products marking Program (CSA), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). RONA has decided to give preference to the FSC certification as this standard better meets RONA’s requirements in terms of relationships with indigenous communities and the conservation of biodiversity, with an objective of having 25% of all commodity lumber for sale in stores be FSC certified by the end of 2012.

In 2008, RONA introduced the first RONA ECO brand products, which are much more environmentally friendly than equivalent conventional items, thanks to a product development approach that’s based on a life-cycle analysis and a rigorous assessment process, in partnership with the International Chair in Life Cycle Assessment.

Last year, RONA also announced that it was turning off 75% of all demonstrator lights on display in its in-store lighting departments, leaving only one item in four turned on full time, to reduce in-store energy consumption. RONA also continues to operate various recovery programs, including paint in Quebec and Ontario and light bulbs across Canada.

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of close to 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With over 27,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 15 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6.3 billion in annual retail sales. For more, please visit rona.ca.
Information:

Medias
Eva Boucher-Hartling
Director, External Communications, RONA
Tel.: 514-599-5114
eva.boucher-hartling@rona.ca.

Financial Community
Stéphane Milot
Senior Director, Investor Relations, RONA
Tel.: 514-599-5951
stephane.milot@rona.ca.
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