Associations denounce Quebec’s selective collection reform

Overflowing recycling bins are shown in Montreal, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, on the day when new recycling rules are implemented by the province. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

Associations in the agri-food sector are denouncing the Legault government’s selective collection reform, arguing that “the costs far exceed the ability of most businesses to pay.”

They claim that this reform has increased their bills by between 75 and 350 per cent.

“Many Quebec businesses currently cannot afford to pay the bills because they were unable to budget for them. The government promised us increases of $26 million, but now we’re looking at a total of $810 million. It doesn’t make sense!“ said Sylvie Cloutier, CEO of the Quebec Food Processing Council, at a press conference on Monday in Quebec City.

“Some businesses are going to close,” she added.

Although consumers have been spared for now, businesses will have no choice but to pass on part of the bill to them, Cloutier feels.

“This unprecedented pressure directly threatens their viability, will inevitably affect the price of groceries and even compromises the achievement of the initial environmental objectives,” the news release states.

These associations argue that the government wanted to act too quickly and should have opted for a gradual transition instead.

“The government has imposed a transformation in five years that other jurisdictions are spreading out over 15 to 20 years,” they say.

They are therefore calling for the regulatory framework to be amended by June 20 at the latest.

Eight associations joined forces to make this announcement on Monday. They include the Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ), the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA).

The selective collection reform came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025 and extends the collection of recyclable materials to include all “containers”, “packaging” and “printed matter” throughout Quebec.

It also makes companies responsible for their products from the moment they are placed on the market until they are recycled.

“We are now 100 per cent responsible for selective collection. And when I say ‘we,’ I mean all companies that market packaging, containers and, of course, printed matter. (...) We have become responsible for recycling in Quebec,” said Cloutier.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 23, 2026.