The Objective regarding Recovery and Reused outlined in the Quebec Waste Management

The Politique québécoise sur la gestion des matières résiduelles 1998-2008 (Québec Waste Management Policy 1998-2008) has established a general objective to reuse 67% of the 7.1 million tonnes of recoverable waste generated each year across Québec. This Policy determines more specific objectives regarding waste recovery and reuse according to the materials involved and the organizations responsible for managing them.

Thus municipalities, which are responsible for waste management in residential areas and for small businesses, have an overall objective of a 60% recovery rate, which varies depending on the type of materials involved.

Industry, large-scale businesses and institutions, whose waste removal is contracted out to specialized private companies, have an overall recovery objective of 80%. They already recover two-thirds of their potentially reusable waste each year.

The recovery of construction, renovation and demolition wastes represents an even greater challenge, as a significant quantity of potentially renewable material is eliminated. The policy determines an overall recovery objective of 60% of the waste. Similarly, new regulations will no longer allow the establishment or expansion of non-putrescible waste disposal sites.

The Municipal Waste Management Plan

The Ville de Montréal has undertaken the development of a Plan municipal de gestion des matières résiduelles (Municipal Waste Management Plan). The City adheres to the principles, objectives and measures outlined in the Politique québécoise de gestion des matières résiduelles (Québec Waste Management Policy). Many of the planned measures have been implemented in Montréal for the past several years, including selective collection, the recovery of hazardous household waste and the reuse and recovery of materials.

The City owns and operates a landfill site, the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex, which receives non-putrescible waste. At the site, the City also manages a composting centre for organic matter. A recovery centre, owned by the City and operated by a private company, is located at the same site. The residual sludge from the Montréal wastewater treatment plant is incinerated and the ashes are buried in the former Demix quarry, which is also owned by the City.

In view of the objectives outlined in the PMGMR, the Municipal Waste Management Plan will implement the following measures:

• Ensure the selective collection of recyclable material for all housing units in Montréal by the end of 2005;
• Ensure the collection of putrescible matter for buildings containing 8 or fewer housing units by the end of 2007;
• Implement pilot projects for the collection of putrescible matter for buildings containing more than 9 housing units;
• Develop eight more éco-centres by 2010 in order to recover and reuse hazardous household waste;
• Continue existing measures for the reuse and recovery of textiles and bulky waste (furniture, electrical appliances, computer equipment, etc.);
• Conduct studies to find uses for the sludge produced by the wastewater treatment plant;
• Develop and implement a plan regarding the recovery of waste related to activities conducted by the municipal administration, such as paper and construction materials and develop and implement a selective collection plan for Montréal parks.