As the Quebec government rolls out its plan (2022-2031) for a modernized selective collection system, the Regional County Municipality (MRC) of Brome-Missisquoi adds a new member to its team for the summer that will outreach within the community to help citizens and businesses better manage their waste materials. The plan for a modernized selective collection system will see a change in the products that Quebecers can put in the garbage, recycling, and compost.

Benjamin Gagné, the new intern for environmental waste management with the MRC of Brome-Missisquoi, said that the MRC has been working on its own management plan for residual materials for a few years now. As municipalities across Quebec slowly begin to transition to the provincial modernized collection system, Gagné will be working with citizens, businesses, and institutions, throughout the summer to provide a better understanding as to where they should dispose their waste and the products they can use to reduce their environmental footprint on the region’s landfill. 

“The biggest project going on in the region is starting at the end of this year we are going towards a provincial modernized selection collection system. Province-wide what can go in the recycling bin and who has access to a recycling bin will completely change. There is going to be packaging that we currently cannot put in the recycling bin, say styrofoam, (…)  that, starting in 2027, you’ll be able to put in your recycling bin,” explained Gagné. “Also, depending on your region in Quebec what is recyclable, what you’re able to put in the composting bin, or what you’re able to put in the garbage bin depends on where you live. Starting at the end of this year all the way up to 2031, the [government] is working towards making it uniform across the entire province.”

Another aspect of the province's plan is to modernize the recycling process by mandating producers and distributors of containers, packaging, and printed matter, to ensure the quality and lifespan of their materials for an efficient recovery and reuse process across the province. The goal with the regulation is to “encourage producers to foster the eco-design of their products” and “their recyclability and reclamation outcomes,” according to the website of the Ministry of Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks.

Gagné continue to explain that the MRC of Brome-Missisquoi is one of the only MRCs in the province that currently does not have jurisdiction over waste-management, but it will be working alongside its municipalities. 

“We’re working with the municipalities towards a partnership [in the MRC] to be able to implement what the province is working towards,” he added.  With this transition taking place, Gagné is also going out into the field this summer to work alongside the community with the goal of introducing the concept of waste management and the impacts of waste. He noted that the environment has been an area of focus for the MRC since 2019.

“They have more and more projects coming up, especially with daycares and different businesses asking for training, asking for activities, asking for new documents to give to the employees. There is a lot of need on that side,” he said. 

So far, Gagné has worked on a 20-page composting guide that can be used by businesses and restaurants, and there have been a number of daycares that have expressed their interest in working with him. He recently developed a snakes-and-ladders activity where each box has a different type of packaging and he works with the children to figure out where they should dispose the packaging. 

“It’s hard when you’re a business looking to buy packaging to know exactly what has the lowest environmental impact. This guide will show businesses and restaurants what exactly they can buy that they can throw into the compost even though it’s covered by food,” Gagné highlighted. “The different daycares are looking to work towards the certification ‘CPE Durable’ (Sustainable Daycare) that is given by the province. They like to do activities like this so that the younger generation can learn about it as early as possible.”

Gagné mentioned that his goal is no only to raise awareness within the community about waste management, but to break down the concept as much as possible. While he hasn’t received any personal requests from citizens yet, he noted that it is not outside of his scope and that he goes to wherever his services are needed. 

“That’s the main problem with waste management is that people always look at it as a problem that is incredibly complex, but with just a few tips and tricks it becomes a lot easier to know what goes in what bin,” he said. 

Listen to the full interview below: