Éco Entreprises Québec holds 2026 Annual General Meeting
Montréal, April 30, 2026 − In 2025, Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) implemented the new modernized curbside recycling system, a major structural change coordinated across Québec without interrupting service delivery for the 9 million residents served in the province.
At the Annual General Meeting held earlier today, Board Chair Stéphane Forget and President and CEO Maryse Vermette proudly presented the highlights of the 2025 Annual Report to ÉEQ’s members, listing the key elements of the radical transformation that put a single organization in charge of managing the entire recycling value chain. Daniel Denis, Independent Director and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, also presented ÉEQ’s financial results and recently enhanced financial framework.
Having arrived at the end of the first full year under extended producer responsibility (EPR), Éco Entreprises Québec presented its members with a generally encouraging picture of the modernized system, introducing performance indicators that will serve as benchmarks going forward.
Highlights from 2025
System performance
Éco Entreprises Québec has implemented measures to track the curbside recycling system’s performance. For the first time, performance is now assessed within a regulatory framework using indicators that will serve as benchmarks in the future:
• The recovery rate measures the proportion of containers, packaging, and printed paper put on the market that are recovered.
• The rate of transportation for recycling indicates the proportion of recovered materials sent to recyclers.
• The local recycling rate reflects the proportion of recycled materials that found outlets in Québec.
These indicators were examined closely in ÉEQ’s first Review on the Modernized Curbside Recycling System, published in March 2026:
• 87% of targeted containers, packaging, and printed paper were recovered in the residential sector, a total of 791,000 metric tonnes.
• 4/5 containers, packaging, and printed paper that were recovered were transported for recycling.
• 63% of these materials were recycled locally in Québec, a 5% increase
• The contamination rate (non-targeted materials placed in recycling bins) was about 13%, an improvement over previous years.
System costs and revenue sources
Curbside recycling is a public utility—it does not generate profits.
In 2025, 90% of the system’s total costs were attributable to the collection, transportation, and sorting of containers, packaging, and printed paper. Most of the curbside recycling system was funded by:
• Producer financial participation;
• Net revenue from material sales.
Anticipated financial mitigation measures and regulatory changes
After several months of negotiations, ÉEQ welcomed the March 2026 announcement of $27 million in funding from the Québec government to cover part of SMEs’ financial contributions under the 2025 Schedule. Under ÉEQ’s management, this financial assistance will help mitigate the financial impact of the overlap between the old system and EPR.
ÉEQ is also continuing to work with the provincial government, which recently announced it would postpone certain regulatory obligations. This eagerly awaited announcement will allow for the continued modernization of the curbside recycling system while taking into account its actual capacity.
Growth in producer member count and introduction of fairness measures
Éco Entreprises Québec is the largest EPR organization in Canada, with 2,800 members. It has taken steps to ensure fairness among its producer members by optimizing reporting, recruiting more obligated companies, and introducing mitigation measures, particularly for small businesses.
Ensuring stability at a pivotal moment
ÉEQ strengthened its governance structure so that companies are better represented on its Board of Directors, which now comprises twelve producer members and four independent directors.
At a special annual general meeting, three new board members were elected by acclamation:
• Mélanie Grenier, Loblaw Companies Ltd.
• Michael Nyisztor, Nespresso Canada
• Louis Simard, Premier Tech Home & Garden Inc.
Four directors were re-elected, two of whom representatives of ÉEQ producer members and two independent directors:
• Élaine Bélanger, Maison Orphée
• Daniel Denis, Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and member of the Human Resources Committee
• Thierry Lopez, Best Buy Canada Ltd.
• Pierre Renaud, Chair of the Governance and Ethics Committee and member of the Ecodesign and Circular Economy Committee
Quotes
“The first year of operations under the modernized system was a significant operational challenge at a particularly difficult time for the recycling industry. Our priority was clear: to ensure continuity of service across Québec.
Despite the turmoil, the year ended positively: No service breakdowns were reported in 2025, and we made progress in local recycling. This milestone marks the beginning of a truly modernized system that we now control from start to finish, and we’ve laid strong a foundation for sustainable performance improvements.”
— Maryse Vermette, President and CEO
“Éco Entreprises Québec fully assumed its role as a producer responsibility organization in 2025, a year characterized by stringent regulatory requirements and the overlap between the old and new systems. The organization had to both support producers in their financial responsibilities and act on their behalf to fulfill obligations that would shape the future of the system.
This transition year was a success in many ways, but above all it paved the way for what’s to come. The organization’s major strategic priorities still include controlling system costs and optimizing overall performance.”
— Stéphane Forget, Chair of the Board of Directors
About 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 Québec. Its ambition is to allow Québecers to recycle more materials more effectively, make sure they can be reprocessed, and help power the province’s circular economy. Bin Impact, the new reference for curbside recycling in Québec, aims to educate people on proper waste sorting and raise awareness about the impact of what we put in our bins.
Nearly 2,800 producers with places of business in Québec and elsewhere are members of Éco Entreprises Québec. The most recent full list of members is published in our annual report.
For more information:
Fanny Laurin
Éco Entreprises Québec
médias@eeq.ca | 514-987-1491 extension 323