Deposit on beverage containers | The opening of new places of return put “on hold”

The opening of new return locations for returnable beverage containers is put “on hold” due to funding problems of the organization responsible for managing the system, jeopardizing the expansion planned for 1^is March. Quebec beer brewers accuse the Minister of the Environment of being responsible for the situation and demand the Prime Minister’s intervention, we learned The Press.

The “perilous situation” in which the Quebec Association for the Recovery of Beverage Containers (AQRCB) finds itself “forces it to suspend, as of this week, the deployment and opening of new Consignaction return locations,” writes in a letter addressed to Prime Minister François Legault, on January 14, the general director of the Association des brasseurs du Québec and member of the board of directors of the AQRCB, Philippe Roy.

“We are asking for your intervention in order to resolve the impasse and avoid a complete shutdown of this vast project initiated by your government,” he continues.

Mr. Roy writes that the Bank of Montreal (BMO) suspended financing of new Consignaction branches after Minister Benoit Charette did not rule out withdrawing the management of the deposit from the AQRCB, at the end of the administrative investigation aimed at the organism¹.

The BMO would require assurance from the government that it does not intend to exclude the AQRCB from the management of the deposit “or assurance that any financial obligation of the AQRCB would be automatically transferred to a new entity” responsible for managing the system, detailed Philippe Roy, joined by The Press.

BMO declined to comment on the subject, citing confidentiality reasons.

Guarantees considered insufficient

However, Minister Benoit Charette signed a “comfort letter” in the spring aimed at assuring financial institutions that beverage manufacturers are legally responsible for the deposit system, regardless of the organization to which they delegate management.².

This letter is “obviously” not enough to reassure the BMO, says the AQRCB, which says it shares the concern of Quebec brewers.

“The level of acceptable risk for the financial partner has just been increased,” he added.

Beverage manufacturers cannot finance the development of new branches themselves, because it represents hundreds of millions of dollars, maintains the AQRCB.

The organization must therefore prepare a new financial package with other parameters, which requires “precious time which is not spent opening and arranging places of return for the 1^is March,” laments Mr. Lefort.

Only 34 branches

The development of 17 new Consignaction branches which was in progress is therefore suspended until further notice, as is the work for around fifteen others which was to begin soon, confirms the AQRCB.

Only 2 new branches whose development has been completed will open as planned this week, bringing to 34 the total number of locations intended exclusively for the return of returnable containers.

Some food retailers continue to take back containers.

This number, far from the 200 promised by the AQRCB, should therefore not change by 1^is March, date of the extension of the deposit to all plastic beverage containers from 100 milliliters to 2 liters, such as water, juice and milk bottles.

The Prime Minister says no

The Prime Minister will not respond to the request for intervention from the Quebec Brewers Association, indicated his press secretary, Ewan Sauves.

“Benoit Charette launched an investigation to shed light on the management of the project and we support the approach,” he declared. Remember that it is the producers who are responsible for managing and financing the system. »

The Prime Minister will therefore have to “assume the fact that modernization [comme] scheduled for 1^is March will not be able to come into force,” reacted Jean-François Lefort, of the AQRCB.

Quebec brewers, who accuse Minister Charette of weakening the modernization of the deposit, nevertheless recognize that the AQRCB must bear part of the blame.

« [Le conseil d’administration de l’AQRCB] sent a very clear message to our president and CEO and the management team that things had to change, says Philippe Roy, and we put a team in place to support them. »

1. Read the article “Why is the instruction delayed, and why an investigation? »

2. Read the article “Quebec holds bottlers accountable”

3. Read the article “Transport and handling of money: The CNESST cracks down on Consignaction”