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February 7, 2024 Press release

Gatineau and Éco Entreprises Québec reach an agreement on the details of curbside recycling

Gatineau, February 7, 2024 – Ville de Gatineau and Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) have signed a partnership agreement for recyclable materials management. The responsibility for these materials, from design to final processing, now rests with the producers, represented by ÉEQ. ÉEQ is the producer responsibility organization (PRO) designated by RECYC-QUÉBEC as part of the modernization of curbside recycling.

The City’s administrative and tax burden will be reduced as a result of this agreement. In fact, the City will obtain financial compensation estimated at nearly $750,000 annually for services rendered. In addition, all expenses related to the collection and transportation of recyclables will be reimbursed.

Quick Facts

  • The agreement will come into force on May 30, 2024, at the same time as the new curbside recycling contracts in Gatineau.
  • The agreement provides that Ville de Gatineau will maintain its services related to residential recyclable materials, namely:
    • Door-to-door collection;
    • Recovery at ecocentres;
    • Collection in outdoor public areas (parks and green spaces);
    • Delivery and repair service for wheeled bins and blue recycling bins;
    • Front-line service (311 Non-Emergency Call Centre).
  • ÉEQ will fully reimburse the City for the costs of:
    • Collection and transportation of recyclable materials (door-to-door, ecocentres and outdoor public places);
    • Supply of containers to buildings with 9 to 19 units;
    • Purchase and repair of duo recycle bins for outdoor public places.
  • ÉEQ will assume all administrative and financial costs related to:
    • Sorting and processing of recovered recyclable materials;
    • Supply of wheeled bins and spare parts;
    • Information, awareness-raising and education activities.
  • In short, all recyclable materials (containers, packaging and printed matter placed on the market by producers) will now be taken care of by them, from the moment they are placed in the bin until they leave the sorting centre.
  • Annual financial compensation totalling $5.20 per unit served is also provided. It will be used to fund some services provided by the City, such as ecocentres, customer service, awareness-raising field work and education activities.
  • The new agreement will replace the former Compensation Plan for the curbside recycling of recyclable materials which covered the Ville de Gatineau.
  • As agreed with ÉEQ and in accordance with the 2023–2029 Residual materials management plan (RMMP), Gatineau will be able to serve the industrial, commercial and institutional sector (ICI) in the region for curbside recycling, according to the user pay principle. As of the date set out in the provincial regulations for the expansion of services, i.e., July 7, 2027, for the commercial and institutional sector and July 7, 2030, for the industrial sector, ÉEQ will be responsible for serving these ICIs.

Curbside recycling in Gatineau

The City has awarded a contract to Environnement Routier NRJ Inc. for curbside recycling. This contract will come into force on May 30, 2024, for a five-year period.

  • The amount of the contract with the supplier is $39,906,832.92, including taxes.
  • All expenses related to curbside recycling will be borne by ÉEQ, with the exception of collection equipment and collection costs for ICI parties that are not covered.

A major communication campaign will be developed in line with the entry into force of the new recycling contracts. These contracts provide for a number of changes, including robotic collection (trucks equipped with a robotic arm that empties the wheeled bins). Residents are invited to stay tuned and consult gatineau.ca between now and May for all the details.

About Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ)

Since 2005, ÉEQ, a private, non-profit organization, has been representing producers who market packaging, containers and printed matter in their responsibility to finance curbside recycling. Appointed as a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in 2022, ÉEQ is in charge of managing curbside recycling in Québec 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.

Quotes

“This agreement is excellent news for the City and for the people of Gatineau. Not only does it represent significant savings, but it also greatly reduces our municipal obligations. And above all, it puts the responsibility of recycling the materials they produce back in the hands of producers. This is another step towards the circular economy and a major gain for residents, who will no longer have to pay for the management of these materials,” stated Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle.

“This agreement is in line with the spirit of Gatineau’s Residual materials management plan, which aims to make businesses responsible for the management of materials produced or consumed. ÉEQ’s assumption of responsibility for all operations related to the collection, transportation and packaging of recyclable materials will also make it possible to standardize practices in Québec. Ultimately, fewer materials will end up in landfills,” added Marc Bureau, municipal councillor for Parc-de-la-Montagne–Saint-Raymond and chair of the Committee on the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change.

“Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a great addition to this new partnership. By prioritizing both service to the public and the system’s efficiency, we have reached a win-win situation,” stated Philippe Cantin, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Government Relations at Éco Entreprises Québec.

Links

Garbage, Recycling, Composting & Bulky Items

Recycling (blue bin)

Sources

Marie-Hélène Rivard 

Director, Service des communications Ville de Gatineau

communications@gatineau.ca

 

Marie-Claude Rivet 

Manager, Strategy and Public Affairs Éco Entreprises Québec
medias@eeq.ca