Ville de Montréal and Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) are pleased to announce that they have signed a partnership agreement to modernize the city's selective collection system. The agreement formalizes the new relationship between ÉEQ and the Ville de Montréal, with the Designated Management Organization (DMO) now operationally and financially responsible for the management of recyclable materials (RMR), and accountable for the system's performance. The City will remain closely involved in the system, notably in the development of collection and transportation contract specifications, field inspections, and public information, awareness and education.
This new agreement will optimize the selective collection ecosystem, providing benefits for both the city and its population. Updating the system opens the door to savings of at least $20 million a year, improved performance and renewed relations with recyclers. Thanks to this agreement, Montreal is ensuring that ÉEQ takes into account the city's specific characteristics, in the direct interest of the population."The partnership agreement signed with ÉEQ enables us to harmoniously optimize the selective collection service for the metropolis. The City of Montreal, with its unique urban density, has special needs, and we salute the excellent collaboration with our partner. Thanks to this agreement, our citizens will continue to benefit from an efficient recycling collection service, which will even be made easier. In Montreal, the modernization of the system will generate annual savings of at least $20 million, and represents a major turning point towards reducing waste at source and better local recovery of recyclable materials. Ultimately, we want to recycle better, develop our circular economy and reduce the volume of materials going to landfill. Let's not forget that Montreal has adopted an ambitious commitment with its Plan directeur de gestion des matières résiduelles 2020-2025, which aims to divert 70% of residual materials from disposal by 2025, and 85% by 2030," said Marie-Andrée Mauger, who is responsible for the environment and ecological transition on the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal.
"Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) finds its full meaning in this new partnership with Montreal. The agreement with the Quebec metropolis marks an important milestone in the modernization of selective collection. It takes into account the diversity of Montreal, and we're proud of it. We made sure we had all the winning conditions in place to respect both the particularities and the built environment of the 19 boroughs," points out Maryse Vermette, President and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec.
Highlights
- As of January 1, 2025, ÉEQ will assume the full cost of collection and transportation of containers, packaging and printed matter recovered by the Ville de Montréal's curbside recycling program, as well as at its ecocentres;
-I n addition, ÉEQ will compensate the Ville de Montréal for eligible management fees and the costs of public information services. The partnership agreement lays the groundwork, while the customization annexes attached to it outline the specifics of the curbside recycling service in the Ville de Montréal;
- The terms of the partnership agreement and the customization appendices are primarily intended to :
a) Set out the respective responsibilities of both parties;
b) Provide a framework for the operation of the curbside recycling service;
c) Establish the list of materials accepted in the recycling bin;
d) Set the parameters for reimbursement and compensation by ÉEQ.
- The excellent collaboration between the City of Montreal and ÉEQ greatly facilitated the discussions leading to this agreement;
- The agreement with Montreal joins those concluded recently, as ÉEQ is currently in an intense period of signing partnership agreements with several cities and municipal organizations of various sizes, in accordance with the timetable set out in the Regulation respecting a selective collection system for certain residual materials and other regulatory provisions. These agreements will be announced in the coming weeks;
- The modernized selective collection system will come into effect throughout Quebec on January 1, 2025.
Collection and recycling in the Ville de Montréal
Want to know how to sort your garbage, find out about collection schedules, compost, recycle and find out what to bring to the ecocenter? Click here to find out more about recycling at the Ville de Montréal and in your borough. If you have any questions about recycling, you can also visit BacImpact.ca.About Éco Entreprises Québec
A private, non-profit organization, Éco Entreprises Québec has been representing producers of packaged goods, containers and printed matter in their responsibility to finance curbside recycling since 2005. Designated as a Designated Management Organization (DMO) in 2022, ÉEQ is the prime contractor for the management of selective collection in Quebec from a sustainable development perspective.
As a 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 eco-design, recyclability and traceability at the heart of its actions with its partners. ÉEQ will continue to exercise its role as an approved organization during the transition from the compensation system to the EPR system for selective collection.
