Draft regulations on modernizing the deposit-return and curbside selective collection systems

Public consultation, January 26–March 11, 2022

The Act to amend mainly the Environment Quality Act with respect to deposits and selective collection was adopted in March 2021. It granted the government the enabling powers needed to regulate materials based on an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approach and assign the responsibility for developing, implementing and funding modernized deposit-return and selective collection systems to non-profit bodies designated to represent target entities.

Two draft regulations on modernizing the deposit-return and curbside selective collection systems in Québec are currently open for a 45-day consultation period. Modernizing these complementary systems will lead to efficiently processing all containers, packaging and printed matter marketed or otherwise distributed in Québec through high-performance recovery and reclamation solutions. The deposit-return system will be extended to include most so-called ready-to-drink beverage containers, meaning that some materials currently processed via selective collection system will be ported over to deposit-return. This is a vast modernization process, one that will also inspire new consumer habits and changes to industrial, commercial and institutional behaviour patterns.

For more information

Summaries of the main regulatory provisions:

• Deposit-return
• Curbside selective collection

Webinars on both draft regulations:

• Deposit-return (French) (English version soon available)
  • Webinar ( Youtube)
  • Presentation (PDF, 1,3 MB)
• Curbside selective collection (French)
  • Webinar ( Youtube)
  • Presentation (PDF, 1 MB)

Public consultation participation

The draft regulations were published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on January 26, 2022. The consultation period runs for 45 days, concluding March 11, 2022.

Parties interested in submitting comments about the draft regulations should submit them in writing to Geneviève Rodrigue, Directrice adjointe 3RV-E no later than March 11, 2022:

Email : genevieve.rodrigue@environnement.gouv.qc.ca
Telephone : 418 455-1569
Regular mail:
Direction adjointe du 3RV-E
Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
675, boulevard René Lévesque Est, édifice Marie-Guyart, 9^e étage
Québec (Québec) G1R 5V7

For more information about the Draft regulation on the development, implementation and funding of a deposit-return system for selected containers, please email Marie Dussault at the Direction adjointe 3RV-E: marie.dussault@environnement.gouv.qc.ca.

For more information about the Draft regulation on a curbside selective collection system for certain types of residual materials, please email Valérie Lephat, at the Direction adjointe 3RV-E: valerie.lephat@environnement.gouv.qc.ca.