Quebec’s bottle-return system is expanding, but not as quickly as expected

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Quebecers will soon have more ways — and more places — to recycle bottles and beverage containers.

After standardizing the deposit at 10 cents and adding new containers like small cans last November, the Legault government will expand the deposit return program in March to include glass and plastic containers such as wine bottles. This marks the second and final stage of Quebec’s plan to improve container recovery rates.

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And to accommodate the expected increase in returns, new recycling centres are already opening across Montreal and the province.

Since April, the Association québecoise de récupération des contenants de boissons (AQRCB) has launched 11 return centres, branded as Consignaction, where containers can be returned.

But on Wednesday, the AQRCB introduced a new type of return hub in LaSalle — one of four “Consignaction+” centres in Quebec. These new centres are equipped to handle a wider range of beverage containers, from cans to wine bottles, for both individuals and businesses. The centres also process bulk returns using automated sorting technology.

Normand Bisson, president and CEO of the AQRCB, emphasized the importance of these new centres in managing the growing number of containers eligible for recycling.

“The essential thing is that we’ll be able to handle the volume of containers that will be returned,” Bisson said.

With these new locations, there are now 15 designated return sites for deposit containers, including six on the island of Montreal.

However, the rollout of these return centres might be slower than originally planned.

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What’s changing in 2025?

The biggest shift will come next spring when the deposit-return program expands to include all types of beverage containers. Aluminum, plastic, glass, and multi-layer cardboard containers between 100 millilitres and 2 litres will have deposits of 10 cents, while glass bottles over 500 millilitres will have a 25-cent deposit.

Containers can be returned to either Consignaction or Consignaction+ centres, along with more than 1,000 participating retailers across the province. A full map of return sites is available on Consignaction’s website.

At designated sites, it’s possible to choose between receiving cash for the returns or having the deposit refunded through the Consignaction app, which links to an account.

“Someone can accumulate containers in a bag, drop it in the bag drop. Just use the Consignaction+ app, and receive the payment later,” Bisson explained. “It’s extremely easy to return containers this way.”

The return site expansion aims to increase capacity to cover around 5 billion containers annually, with a target recovery rate of 90 per cent by 2032.

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Where are consignaction return sites on the island of Montreal?

1110 Dollard Ave (+)
7551 Newman Blvd.
6000 Côte-des-Neiges Rd., Suite 10
77 Shamrock Ave.
1301 Beaubien St. E
2675 Beaubien St. E

However, while first centres are now open, the rollout has been slower than expected.

The AQRCB initially committed to opening 400 Consignaction return centres by March 2025, but that target has since been reduced to 200. As of this week, only 15 sites are fully operational, with another 80 in development.

“There are many challenges, from securing municipal permits to co-ordinating construction timelines,” Bisson said. “We’re working hard to have as many centres open by March as possible, but it’s been slower than anticipated.”

The delays have drawn criticism from Quebec’s Environment Minister, Benoit Charette, who called the progress “unacceptable.”

In response, the government reduced the overall number of planned return sites to 1,200 from 1,500 and allowed retailers more flexibility to set up return centres farther from their stores to ease space constraints.

Despite the setbacks, Bisson remains optimistic, assuring that 200 centres will “definitely” be operational by 2025, though he couldn’t provide an exact timeline.

He also added that the original target of 400 centres could be met by 2026.

hnorth@postmedia.com

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