High-performance infrastructure paves the way for modernized curbside recycling
Montréal, February 7, 2025 — Gathered at the brand new sorting facility for recyclable materials in Montréal’s East End, Maryse Vermette, president and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec, and Yazan Kano, Vice President of Strategy for Eastern Canada with Matrec-GFL, a division of GFL Environmental, took part in the official inauguration of a facility equipped with some of the most advanced technology for its category in Canada.
Also present were Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks Benoit Charrette, Minister Responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action Chantal Rouleau, Verdun Borough Mayor and Montréal Councillor Responsible for the City’s Ecological Transition and the Environment Marie-Andrée Mauger, Acting Mayor of Montréal-Est Denis Marcil, and Board Chair of Éco Entreprises Québec Denis Brisebois. As they toured the new facility in the heart of Montréal-Est’s industrial district, they admired the innovative, high-powered equipment and applauded the work done to deliver the project on time.
Matrec-GFL’s new facility will process some 150,000 tonnes of solid waste—containers, packaging, and printed papers—from the East End’s household recycling bins. The inauguration is an important step in the process to upgrade the province’s network of sorting facilities. The new facility is set to be the category leader in Quebec, with automated processes that will produce high-quality recovered materials, or feedstock.
This infrastructure meets the new requirements aimed at modernizing curbside recycling in Quebec, which have been in full effect since January 1. With the simplification and harmonization of household sorting practices in the province, the facility will be able to produce high-quality feedstock, for optimal sorting of blue bin materials. The facility’s innovative vacuum solution for soft plastics, for example, will produce a higher volume of higher-quality bales—a significant step forward in modernizing the province’s waste management system.
Modernizing brings down the sorting cost per tonne. These types of investments therefore improve the bottom line of Quebec’s sorting facilities and will continue to be made in the coming years.
The advanced equipment used by modern sorting facilities reduces the sorting cost per tonne.
Construction on the East End sorting facility started in October 2023.
Matrec-GFL’s new 120,000 sq. ft. sorting centre is the most highly automated centre in the province, redefining industry standards with advanced technology that makes it one of the most efficient in North America.
The new facility is designed to process 15%–20% of the province’s total tonnage from curbside collection. In 2025 alone, more than 800,000 tonnes of recyclables will be recovered in Quebec through curbside recycling.
An innovative automated pre-sorting system and 17 optical sorters will separate different types of materials at the outset, making the manual sorting process safer and more efficient.
With its advanced equipment and high processing capacity, the centre will be able to produce a number of different types of high-quality bales.
The facility uses a manual “last-chance” sorting mode to return missorted recyclables to the conveyer belt, thereby maximizing the amount of materials that get sorted and, ultimately, recycled.
The facility has two parallel processing lines, for seamless operations even in the event of an unexpected stoppage.
“I’m very happy to be here today for the inauguration of the new sorting facility in Montréal’s East End. This ambitious project was made possible by a highly productive partnership between industry players. Thanks to their dedication and commitment, Quebecers and Quebec companies now have an innovative, efficient sorting system for recyclables. Every year, the facility will sort some 150,000 tonnes of containers, packaging, and print materials, making a significant dent in the amount of recyclables that end up in landfills. Our government remains committed to working with its partners to increase the sustainability of our solid waste management. Together, we’re building a greener, more environmentally friendly Quebec.”
— Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks
“Having spent a good part of my career in the recycling industry, I’m particularly proud to see Matrec-GFL’s new, ultramodern sorting facility go up in the riding’s industrial sector. By using automation to significantly boost the facility’s productivity, Éco Entreprises Québec has provided a shining example of the industrial leadership and innovation happening in Montréal’s East End. Our city is now better equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century and make the future greener for residents.”
— Chantal Rouleau, Minister Responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action and MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles.
“The inauguration of Montréal’s East End sorting facility is great news for everyone living in Montréal. This new cutting-edge facility will optimize the sorting and processing of our recyclables. The project is perfectly aligned with our 2020–2025 Strategic Waste Management Plan and strengthens our commitment to transitioning to a greener, more circular economy. I’m confident that it will also give Montrealers greater confidence in our curbside recycling system.”
— Marie-Andrée Mauger, Verdun Borough Mayor and Montréal Councillor Responsible for the City’s Ecological Transition and the Environment.
“This is an important milestone for people in Montréal-Est and for everyone living in Montréal’s East End. An ecological transition comes with significant challenges. Households are doing the right thing by sorting their waste, but if we want that to translate into concrete environmental benefits, municipalities need modern facilities to process the materials properly. Montréal-Est’s new sorting facility is aligned with our Vision 2050: It creates jobs that will support the local economy, it’s an environmentally responsible form of economic development, and it will strengthen Quebec’s circular economy.”
— Denis Marcil, Acting Mayor of Montréal-Est
“With this sorting centre for curbside recycling, our environmental complex is now complete and will be able to optimize the recovery and reuse of recyclables for residents in Montréal’s East End. The circular economy is part of Matrec-GFL’s DNA, and we’re proud to offer our clients and the communities we serve affordable, cost-efficient, sustainable solutions to help them reduce their carbon footprint.”
— Yazan Kano, Vice President of Strategy for Eastern Canada, Matrec-GFL
“Now that the regulations on extended producer responsibility are in effect, the priority for Éco Entreprises Québec is to equip the province with a network of high-powered sorting facilities. That way, we can bring down sorting costs and produce high-quality recovered materials. It’s a big step forward for a circular economy that recycles containers, packaging, and print materials locally and creates wealth in Quebec.”
— Denis Brisebois, Board Chair of Éco Entreprises Québec
“The inauguration of Montréal’s East End sorting facility is a major milestone in the transformation of Quebec’s sorting infrastructure. It’s going to raise the standards for sorting recyclables. We want to improve the quality of recovered materials and get the most value out of them on a provincial scale, for the benefit of Quebecers. I’d like to acknowledge the excellent work done by Éco Entreprises Québec and Matrec-GFL, who delivered a key piece of sorting infrastructure for Greater Montréal on a very tight timeline.”
— Maryse Vermette, President and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec
Éco Entreprises Québec is a private non-profit organization that is now responsible for managing the entire curbside recycling system and representing companies that sell containers, packaging and printed paper in Quebec. Our mission is to allow Quebecers to recycle more materials more effectively, make sure they can be reprocessed second life for recyclable materials, and help power the province’s circular economy. Bin Impact, the new reference in curbside recycling in Quebec, aims to educate people on the right way to sort waste and raise awareness of the impact of what we put in our bins.
GFL (Green For Life), established in Toronto, Ontario, is the fourth-largest diversified environmental services company in North America and the only one with headquarters for Eastern Canada in Montréal-Est. Founded in 2007, GFL is a leader in circular economy strategies and the development of new green technologies in Canada. Additionally, GFL operates in all environmental activity sectors, including residual materials management (curbside collection, construction/renovation/demolition materials, organic and compostable matter), hazardous waste and emergency response materials management, contaminated soil remediation management, as well as green renewable energy recovery. In Quebec, GFL operates under the name Matrec (for matières recyclables, in French) a division of GFL Environmental Inc. with over 1,500 employees and collaborators.
Learn more:
For more information about the modernization of curbside recycling, see our website.
For questions about how to sort household waste, see Bin Impact.
For photos, videos and technical sheet, contact medias@eeq.ca.
Sources and additionnal information
Marie-Claude Rivet
Head of Public Affairs and
Communications
Éco Entreprises Québec
514 987-1491, 237
mcrivet@eeq.ca
Richard Mimeau
Vice President of Public Affairs and
Sustainable Development
Matrec-GFL
450-641-3070
rmimeau@matrec.ca