The Association québécoise de récupération des contenants de boissons and social economy enterprises: in solidarity for deposit-refund

Montreal, November 22, 2024 - As part of the modernization of the deposit-refund system, the Quebec Beverage Container Beverage Association (QBCRA)/Consignaction is actively implementing measures that will facilitate the participation of social economy enterprises in the activities of the deposit-refund system.

"We have been working for several months with social economy enterprises, who will prove to be invaluable partners, and together we are pursuing a host of avenues for collaboration. These organizations are an important link in the recovery chain, and share our objectives of waste reduction, materials recovery and social integration," said Normand Bisson, President and CEO of the QBCRA.

Over the past year, the QBCRA has undertaken three projects in collaboration with some 30 social economy enterprises: integrating and retaining people with disabilities in the workplace, direct participation in the deposit-refund system and container management, and mitigating the effects of precarious status and social exclusion. Working meetings were held during the first half of the year. They led to concrete avenues of collaboration to encourage the participation of these companies.

A number of initiatives have been identified, and the QBCRA and its partners are in the process of implementing them:

• the development of an inclusive recruitment protocol guaranteeing equitable access to employment for people with disabilities;
• the creation of a register of social economy enterprises wishing to operate Zone Consignaction return sites Zone Consignaction regions where there will be no retailer ;
• the invitation to participate in calls for tenders for: a) the operation of subcontracted transfer stations, b) the transport of containers recovered from return sites to transfer stations, and c) the transport of light and heavy containers in bulk from transfer stations to processors;
• the creation of a register of social economy enterprises able to offer collection services to on-site consumption establishments (ÉCSP) and public places;
• the creation of "carrefours" to combat precarious status and social exclusion, i.e. the installation of separate return sites to meet the needs of target clienteles.

In addition, the QBCRA has signed an agreement with the Coops des Valoristes de Montréal and Québec to continue recovering returnable beverage containers, officially making the site a return site crossroads in the fight against precarious status and social exclusion.

With five billion containers subject to deposit-refund as of March¹, 2025, the QBCRA, with the help of retailers, will set up at least 1,200 return sites. This hybrid network will consist of return points at participating retailers and return sites Consignaction and Consignaction+, reserved exclusively for beverage container recovery. By 2026, some 400 return sites Consignaction and Consignaction+ will be in operation, employing some 2,000 people.

About Consignaction and the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association

Since 2001, programs branded with the Consignaction name have promoted beverage-container recovery to citizens and companies. Consignaction is the official emblem for promoting the activities of the QBCRA to the public and stakeholders. The QBCRA is the designated management body (DMB) for the development, implementation, financing and management of the modernized deposit-refund system, in line with the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Its members are the various beverage producers involved in the recovery, reuse, recycling and reclamation of beverage containers in Quebec. For more information, visit www.consignaction.ca

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Information :

Annie Jolicoeur,consignaction