Deposit on beverage containers | Quebec launches an investigation and postpones its reform

The Legault government orders the holding of an administrative investigation into the organization responsible for implementing its reform of the deposit on beverage containers, in which it has lost all confidence, and postpones the extension of the deposit to 2027. glass bottles and multi-layer containers, learned The Press.

Accumulation of delays, unfulfilled commitments, lack of transparency: the management of the Quebec Association for the Recovery of Beverage Containers (AQRCB), the organization created by stakeholders in the beverage industry to manage the deposit reform, will be scrutinized.

The AQRCB was notified Thursday morning of the launch of the investigation into it, and will receive a subpoena to force it to transmit to the government a whole series of documents, including those that it should have already transmitted to it under its obligations, as well as a multitude of others.

“The administrative investigation will reveal the flaws” which have ensured that the second phase of the extension of the deposit, planned for 1^is March, was heading towards a wall, declared the Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, Benoit Charette, in an interview with The Press.

“We had serious concerns about this date which is fast approaching,” he added, referring in particular to the number of Consignaction return locations “constantly being revised downwards”.

From around 400 originally planned, the target was reduced to 200, then to less than a hundred, earlier this fall.

Less noticeable to the general public, the conclusion of agreements by the AQRCB with suppliers and subcontractors, or even with restaurateurs and food businesses was very laborious, deplores Quebec.

“We have heard from partners saying that it is very difficult to get the correct information from the AQRCB,” indicates Minister Charette.

The discussions were particularly difficult with the AQRCB due to personality conflicts involving its management, indicated to The Press in recent months sources within companies revolving around the deposit system, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the AQRCB.

Glass and multilayers postponed to 2027

Noting that the system “would be in a very bad position at 1^is March” and that people might be unable to be reimbursed for the deposit paid on certain containers, Minister Charette reluctantly agreed to once again postpone part of his reform.

It will therefore only be in 2027 that glass containers that have not yet been deposited, such as bottles of wine, spirits or water, as well as multi-layer containers such as milk and juice, will be subject to the deposit. , because these containers present equipment and health issues respectively.

The enlargement of 1^is March will therefore only concern plastic containers which are not yet returnable, such as water bottles.

“We will still be at 80% of the objective”, consoles Minister Charette, explaining that glass and multilayer represent 20% of the volume of containers targeted by his reform of the deposit.

The minister denies having waited until the last minute to act, stressing that he has increased the number of meetings with the AQRCB and its partners since the end of the summer to unblock things.

The date of 1^is March already constituted a concession from Quebec, which had acceded to the request of the AQRCB and food retailers to expand the deposit in two phases rather than in a single step, as initially planned.

Recyc-Québec to the rescue

Quebec weighed the idea of ​​removing the management of the deposit from the AQRCB, but gave it up because the creation of a new responsible organization under the principle of “extended producer responsibility” (REP) would have implied the same actors, indicated to The Press a source close to the matter, but who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.

However, there is “no closed door” to this solution being retained at the end of the investigation, indicates Minister Charette, who adds that “we have to go in stages”.

The Quebec Recovery and Recycling Society (Recyc-Québec) will, however, offer its “services” to the AQRCB to help it achieve its mandate, which could result in the loan of personnel and “support” to the daily.

Other management systems based on EPR, such as the collection of recyclable materials, the recovery of paints, batteries, pharmaceutical products or even electronic devices all work well, underlines the minister, who therefore excludes that the regulations surrounding its reform of the instruction was poorly designed.

“At the REP level,” he said, “it’s the only one that has been problematic. »

Contacted by The Pressthe AQRCB did not react immediately.