Curbside recycling of recyclable materials: Many Cities in Quebec Hop on Modernization Bandwagon!
Montréal, February 29, 2024 – In addition to Montréal*, Gatineau* and Laval*, the cities of Blainville, Boisbriand, Brossard*, Granby, Magog*, Repentigny, Rouyn-Noranda*, Saguenay, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville*, Sainte-Thérèse, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Sept-Îles*, Sherbrooke, Sorel-Tracy, Thetford Mines and Victoriaville – each with more than 25,000 inhabitants – are also getting on the bandwagon to modernize curbside recycling by partnering with Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ).
These partnerships are part of a series of agreements signed in recent weeks with nearly 60 municipal organizations (MOs) made up of one or more municipalities, as the case may be. And it’s not over yet!
By January 2025, curbside recycling services throughout Quebec – in accordance with the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) – will be under the responsibility of ÉEQ, including planning, supervising or financing the system. The implementation of EPR by ÉEQ will enable all citizens to recycle the same materials by using the recycling bins, regardless of the municipality where they live in Quebec.
Highlights
- Effective January 1, 2025, ÉEQ will assume all the costs of collecting and transporting containers, packaging and printed matter collected by means of curbside recycling throughout Quebec.
- As the producer responsibility organization (PRO) for curbside recycling, ÉEQ will now be accountable for the performance of the system in Quebec.
- ÉEQ plans to sign more than 125 partnership agreements in compliance with the Regulation respecting a system of selective collection of certain residual materials and other regulatory provisions.
- To date, ÉEQ has reached agreements with MOs representing nearly 550 municipalities and 5.5 million Quebecers, or nearly two-thirds of the population.
- The partnership agreements have been customized to take into account the particularities of curbside recycling services for each region.
- Starting next year, there will be only one list of recyclable materials in Quebec, regardless of the region or municipality.
* These municipalities have signed a partnership agreement directly with ÉEQ; the others did so as part of a group or as members of their RCM.
- The terms of the partnership agreements are primarily intended to :
- – State the respective responsibilities of each party;
– Oversee the implementation of curbside recycling services;
– Establish a list of materials accepted in the recycling bin;
– Set the parameters for reimbursement and compensation by ÉEQ. - ÉEQ will compensate the signatory MOs for the associated management fees and the costs of public information services.
Quote
“The signing of these strategic agreements throughout Quebec is a pivotal moment for ÉEQ and for the implementation of EPR-based curbside recycling in Quebec. Our partnership with the municipalities and the organizations in which they are grouped is paving the way for a circular economy. Starting in 2025, our actions will optimize the curbside recycling ecosystem by introducing streamlined operations and improving logistical efficiency, while maintaining a citizen-centered approach. Ultimately, all of Quebec will benefit.”
– Maryse Vermette, President and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec.
About Éco Entreprises Québec
Since 2005, Éco Entreprises Québec, a private non-profit organization, has been representing producers who market packaged products, containers and printed matter in their responsibility to finance curbside recycling. Appointed as a producer responsibility organization in 2022, ÉEQ is in charge of managing curbside recycling in Quebec from a sustainable development perspective.
As the leader in extended producer responsibility (EPR), ÉEQ develops, manages and advises its producer members on circular economy solutions to reduce their environmental footprint. To achieve this, ÉEQ places ecodesign, recyclability and traceability at the heart of its actions with its partners. ÉEQ will continue to fulfill its role as a PRO during the transition from the compensation plan to the EPR curbside recycling.
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Source
Marie-Claude Rivet
Manager, Strategy and Public Affairs
514 987-1491, 237
mcrivet@eeq.ca
For more informations
Maximilian Fiorante
Advisor, Public Affairs
514 375-0174
maximilian.fiorante@hillandknowlton.com