Éco Entreprises Québec's 2025 Review: A Successful First Year for the Modernized Curbside Recycling System

No service disruptions, more local recycling, and a more efficient system

MONTRÉAL, March 19, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) released its 2025 review on the first year of operation of the modernized curbside recycling system, now governed by extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The new system, which came into effect on January 1, 2025, makes producers fully responsible for the collection, sorting, marketing, and recovery of the containers, packaging, and printed paper they place on the Québec market. This major shift designates a single organization--ÉEQ--to oversee the entire value chain.

"The modernization of the curbside recycling system represented a significant structural transformation," said Maryse Vermette, President and CEO of Éco Entreprises Québec. "Our top priority was to ensure uninterrupted service for the public. With the first year of operations now complete, we can confidently say: mission accomplished. Despite a very challenging year for the recycling industry, there were no service disruptions, and local recycling increased. This marks the beginning of a new era for curbside recycling--one that is fully managed under a unified system. We have laid the foundation for a strong and resilient model."

Producers at the core of the system

In 2025, ÉEQ had 2,800 member producers, making Québec the Canadian jurisdiction with the highest number of businesses under a single EPR program. Efforts to strengthen equity and compliance led to the addition of 148 new contributing producers, generating an extra $5.8 million in revenue, for a total producer contribution of $457 million.

ÉEQ also expanded its outreach and communications initiatives, hosting monthly Q&A sessions that brought together 625 companies and nearly 900 participants. It organized sector-specific meetings and collaborated with counterparts across Canada to promote the harmonization of EPR systems nationwide.

Challenging market conditions for recyclable materials

The year 2025 was marked by particularly difficult global market conditions for recyclable materials. Prices for plastics, paper, and cardboard declined significantly due to an oversupply of virgin plastic, market volatility, and ongoing trade uncertainty.

Highlights of the 2025 report

• No service disruptions in curbside recycling in 2025
• 99% of Québec's population served
• 21 sorting and pre-sorting facilities under contract with ÉEQ
• Nearly 791,000 tonnes of material recovered
• Residential recovery rate of 87%
• Four out of five recovered containers, packaging, and printed paper units sent for recycling
• 63% of materials recycled locally in Québec, a 5% increase from previous data
• Contamination rate of approximately 13%

The full 2025 Review on the Modernized Curbside Recycling System is available here.

About Éco Entreprises Québec

Éco Entreprises Québec is a private non-profit organization that is now responsible for managing the entire curbside recycling system and representing companies that sell containers, packaging, and printed paper in Québec. Its mission is to allow Québecers to recycle more materials more effectively, make sure they can be reprocessed, and help power the province's circular economy. Bin Impact, the new reference for curbside recycling in Québec, aims to educate people on proper waste sorting and raise awareness about the impact of what we put in our bins.

Nearly 2,800 producers with places of business in Québec and elsewhere are members of Éco Entreprises Québec. The most recent full list of members is published in our annual report.

SOURCE Éco Entreprises Québec

Media contact: Justin Meloche, [email protected], 514-995-9704; For more information: Fanny Laurin, Éco Entreprises Québec, mé[email protected], 514-987-1491