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June 21, 2023 Press release

Financing of curbside recycling in Quebec - 2023 Report

All producers must become members of Éco Entreprises Québec and pay a special participation to finance EPR

Montreal, June 21, 2023 — As part of the publication of the 2023 Schedule of Contributions in the Gazette officielle du Québec, Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) is announcing two important measures to prepare for its new responsibilities as Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for curbside recycling: the requirement for all companies that market containers, packaging, and printed matter in Quebec to become members of ÉEQ and pay a special financial participation. ÉEQ is also continuing to extend the list of materials subject to a rate and the evolution towards greater eco-modulation.

All producers are required to become members and pay a special financial participation due in January 2024

Under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulation for curbside recycling, all producers are now required to become members of ÉEQ. To complete their 2023 report, companies must first consent to the membership contract, to the general terms, conditions, and policies, in order to formally become members of the PRO.

In the transition towards the EPR for curbside recycling, a special financial contribution from producers will be invoiced to finance the costs to be managed in real time under the new curbside recycling system. That amount will also enable the constitution of a reserve fund, as required under the new regulation. This special financial contribution, payable by producers in January 2024, will also be generated for the 2024 Schedule of Contributions report. Small-volume producers will be asked to pay the amount for 2023 and 2024 during the 2024 reporting period.

For the 2023 Schedule, the list of materials subject to a fee now includes porcelain. ÉEQ is also pursuing the evolution of the formula towards eco-modulated fees that are increasingly,  linked to the impact of each material on the entire value chain, namely by creating a separate fee for polypropylene (PP). Also, ÉEQ will extend the eco-design bonus launched in 2021. In this way, and in addition to various measures, the bonus recognizes and rewards producers’ efforts in the eco-design of containers and packaging.

Highlights

  1. The 2023 Schedule of Contributions has been published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on June 21st, 2023.
  2. ÉEQ membership is now required to file the 2023 report.
  3. Producers will be required to pay a special financial participation tied to the 2023 report in January 2024.
  4. The fee structure for producers that put containers, packaging and printed matter on the market is developed each year using a formula that is based both on studies and on verifiable data, and that takes environmental criteria into account. Framed by strict rules, each Schedule of Contributions is submitted to companies during a specific consultation meeting before going through an approval process with government authorities in accordance with the law.
  5. After three (3) years of growth, ÉEQ anticipates that net costs for curbside recycling for 2022 to be reported by Quebec municipalities will see a slight decrease compared to last year.
  6. The total amount paid by producers to finance curbside recycling in Quebec should reach approximately $226 M for the 2023 Schedule of Contributions.
  7. Companies subject to the Schedule of Contributions who marketed containers, packaging and printed matter produced as part of an ecodesign incentive in 2022 may receive a credit of up to $60,000, applicable to their annual financial contribution for next year. 
  8. A video capsule on the new features of the ÉEQ portal and the membership process for companies is available here (In French only, English coming soon).
  9. New conditions apply to the 2023 Schedule, including: 
    o Materials subject to a fee will be expanded to include porcelain (included with ceramic)
    o The rate for polypropylene (PP) will be eco-modulated 
    A separate report for containers and packaging that may be included in the expanded deposit system 
    o Penalty for failure to report
  10. The annual reporting period lasts sixty (60) days. Targeted companies, therefore, have until August 21st, 2023, to report containers, packaging, and printed matter they put on the market on the Quebec territory during calendar year 2022.

About Éco Entreprises Québec

Since 2005, Éco Entreprises Québec, a private non-profit organization, has represented producers of containers, packaging and printed matter with regard to their financial responsibilities pertaining to curbside recycling. Named Producer Responsability organization in 2022, ÉEQ is the contract giver for the management of curbside recycling in Quebec with a view to sustainable development.

As a leader in extended producer responsibility (EPR), ÉEQ develops, manages and advises circular economy solutions for its member producers in order for them to reduce their environmental footprint. To achieve this, ÉEQ puts ecodesign, recyclability and traceability at the core of all actions with its partners. ÉEQ will continue its role as certified organization throughout the transition from the compensation plan to curbside recycling EPR.

Source :

Marie-Claude Rivet
Head of Strategy, Public Affairs
Éco Entreprises Québec
514 987-1491, Ext. 237
medias@eeq.ca