Montreal, November 13, 2023 - The Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association (QBCRA)/Consignaction has signed a major agreement with supplier TOMRA for the purchase of equipment to recover redeemable beverage containers. The equipment covered by the agreement will meet a significant proportion of the needs anticipated in some 400 return sites Consignaction stores, which will begin deployment in the coming months. The arrival of this state-of-the-art equipment will mark a change in recycling methods in Quebec. While the first phase of modernization was launched on November¹, the conclusion of this agreement is one of the many steps leading up to the deployment of the second phase.

"Consignaction is delighted with this partnership with TOMRA Canada, a trusted equipment manufacturer that has been present in Quebec for 40 years. The proposed innovative, high-performance and reliable solutions will help establish a robust return sites network and enhance the customer experience for the return of redeemable beverage containers," said Normand Bisson, President of the AQuebec Beverage Container Recycling Association (QBCRA). Facilitating the return of redeemable beverage containers and improving the customer experience are important elements in helping us achieve our ambitious goal of a 90% recovery rate within 10 years," he added.

"It's inspiring to see that Quebec is making tremendous progress in modernizing its beverage container deposit-refund program, promising to become one of the most efficient systems in the world. TOMRA is excited to be a major supplier of automated collection technology for this expansion," says Alain Nault, Senior Vice President, General Manager, TOMRA Canada.

A hybrid network of return sites

The extension of deposit-refund to include wine bottles, water bottles and multi-layer cartons will double the number of beverage containers subject to deposit-refund, eventually reaching 5 billion units. This expansion necessitates the opening of return sites Consignaction, new retail outlets in every region of Quebec. The customer experience will be facilitated by state-of-the-art recovery equipment, rapid service points, an electronic refund application and on-site assistance. Automated recycling machines at retailers will also have to be replaced by March^1, 2025, to enable efficient management of the new types of beverage containers that will be covered by deposit-refund.

A two-phase rollout

Due to the significant increase in the volume of redeemable beverage containers, the modernization of deposit-refund is being rolled out in two phases. The first, launched on November¹, extends deposit-refund to aluminum beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 l. The second phase covers plastic and glass beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 l that are not yet redeemable, such as water and wine bottles, as well as multi-layer cardboard containers like juice and milk cartons.

Consignaction and the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association (QBCRA)

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. 

About TOMRA Canada

TOMRA Canada is part of the TOMRA Group, which provides automated recovery systems for clean-loop recycling, to transform society's habits and keep valuable resources in a continuous loop of use and reuse. The company's solutions collect beverage containers of all types, including aluminum, plastic, glass and cardboard, for continuous reuse and recycling into new containers. With around 82,000 installations in more than 60 markets, TOMRA technologies recover more than 45 billion used bottles and cans every year. This reduces dependence on raw materials and cuts the number of containers that end up on our streets, in our oceans and in our landfills. Visit tomracollectioncanada.com to learn more about our technologies and service across Canada.

-30-

For more information : 

Annie Jolicoeur,consignaction

Myriam Couvrette, TOMRA Canada, [email protected]