This text is taken from the Courrier de la Planète. Click here to subscribe.
In Quebec, not all aluminum cans are returnable. Those that contain beer or a soft drink are. Those that contain sparkling water are not. “What is the logic? asks André David, a reader of Courrier de la Planète.
Knowing that aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, recovering the greatest possible quantity makes sense. However, studies show that the imposition of a deposit generates a recovery rate that is really higher than simple recycling in the blue bin.
We forwarded Mr. David’s question to Recyc-Québec, the Quebec government’s crown corporation responsible for recovery and recycling. By email, she confirms that the case defies common logic…
“There is indeed confusion, because the current deposit targets the content and not the container, that is to say that it targets soft drink and beer containers only”, writes the public company to the Duty.
In addition to sparkling water, other drinks also escape the deposit: iced green tea, flavored water, vegetable juice, etc. The exclusion applies not only to aluminum cans, but also to other types of recyclable containers.
Fortunately, this nonsense will soon be a thing of the past: the deposit extension regulation, which will come into force on 1er November, will have as a basic principle to target certain types of containers, and not their contents.
All containers of ready-to-drink beverages from 100 milliliters to 2 liters will be recorded in this way. They can be plastic, glass, metal or multi-layer cardboard. The amount of the deposit will be 10 cents, except for bottles of wine and spirits, for which it will be 25 cents.
Note certain exclusions that will remain under the new regime: flexible plastic bags (such as bags of milk), wine bottles and coffee or soft drink glasses filled at the counter of a fast food restaurant will not be recorded.