Record Staff
Quebec’s environmental community expressed concern over the province’s revamped deposit system, which took effect Nov. 1. The system, which currently focuses on aluminum containers, has been criticized for ignoring a substantial amount of plastic and glass recyclables.
The Sherbrooke Glass Committee (SGC) and the Green Glass Operation Movement (GGOM) highlighted the exclusion of 1.2 billion plastic bottles and 100,000 tons of recyclable glass from the “expanded” deposit initiative. Originally set for launch in 2022 and delayed twice, the fully promised system has now been rescheduled for 2025.
Environmental groups are particularly concerned about the fate of clear glass from food containers, which remains outside the deposit scheme. Currently, this non-deposited glass is allowed in the blue-green recycling bins, where it risks contamination.
Parliamentary recommendations from 2019 had called for the recovery of glass outside the mixed recycling bins, with suggestions for localized deposit or voluntary drop-off points, tailored to regional requirements. However, these recommendations have not been fully realized in the current system.
