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Partnerships with Éco Entreprises Québec: A New Era for Curbside Recycling Soon Underway in the Bas-Saint-Laurent

Montréal, March 6, 2024 – Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) is proud to announce its partnerships signed in the Bas-Saint-Laurent. In accordance with the extended producer responsibility (EPR) principle, ÉEQ is responsible for planning, supervising and financing the curbside recycling system. Over the past few weeks, Rivière-du-Loup, the Régie intermunicipale de traitement des matières résiduelles des MRC de La Matapédia et de La Mitis (RITMR) and the Basques Regional County Municipality (RCM) have signed agreements, thus formalizing the role of EEQ in the management of recyclable materials.

The excellent collaboration of the elected officials in the region will ensure the optimization of the curbside recycling ecosystem by introducing streamlined operations and improving logistical efficiency, while maintaining a citizen-centered approach.

In addition, the implementation of EPR by ÉEQ will allow all Quebecers to recycle the same materials by using blue bins, regardless of where they are in the province. As the producer responsibility organization (PRO) for curbside recycling, ÉEQ will now be accountable for the system’s performance in Quebec.

For ÉEQ, these new partnership agreements are the latest in a series of nearly 60 agreements signed with municipal organizations (MOs) in recent weeks, representing 60% of the population of Quebec.

Highlights

  • Effective January 1, 2025, ÉEQ will assume all the costs of collecting and transporting containers, packaging and printed matter collected by means of curbside recycling throughout Quebec;
  • As a result, there will be only one list of recyclable materials in Quebec, regardless of the region or municipality;
  • ÉEQ will compensate the signatory MOs for the associated management fees and the costs of public information services; 
  • Partnership agreements have been customized into account the particularities of curbside recycling services in the targeted Bas-Saint-Laurent territory;
  • The terms of the partnership agreement with MOs in the Bas-Saint-Laurent are mainly intended to:
    o State the respective responsibilities of each party;
    o Oversee the implementation of curbside recycling services;
    o Establish a list of materials accepted in the recycling bin;
    o Set the parameters for reimbursement and compensation by ÉEQ.
  • These agreements are in addition to those recently signed with various cities and municipal organizations in compliance with the Regulation respecting a system of selective collection of certain residual materials and other regulatory provisions;
  • The agreements signed in the Bas-Saint-Laurent announced today cover curbside recycling services for 65,197 people;
  • To date, ÉEQ has reached agreements with MOs representing nearly 550 municipalities and 5.5 million residents in Quebecs.

Quote

“The agreements we have signed with municipalities in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region attest to our joint commitment in promoting a circular economy. They ensure a harmonious transition and recognize existing ecosystems. Implementing the EPR principle means implementing a more effective curbside recycling system. Ultimately, Quebecers come out as winners.”
-Maryse Vermette, President and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec.

About Éco Entreprises Québec

Since 2005, Éco Entreprises Québec, 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. ÉEQ will continue to fulfill its role as a PRO during the transition from the compensation plan to EPR curbside recycling.

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Source 
Marie-Claude Rivet
Manager, Strategy and Public Affairs
514 987-1491, 237
mcrivet@eeq.ca

For more informations 
Maximilian Fiorante
Advisor, Public Affairs 
514 375-0174
maximilian.fiorante@hillandknowlton.com