Quebec moving away from waste reduction targets as garbage output grows, report finds

Despite the province's efforts to reduce waste, the amount ofgarbage generated by Quebec continues to increase, according to a new reportfrom the province's recycling authority.

The most recent figures, compiled byRecyc-Qubecand released Thursday, found that in 2021, Quebec produced 716 kilograms of residual materials per capita an increase of five per cent compared with 2018.

"We're a bit disappointed because we were supposed to go forward in waste management," saidKarel Mnard, executive director of the Quebec Coalition of Ecological Waste Management.

"But what we saw in this report is actually the opposite wehave produced more waste, we have recycled less recyclable material."

Theamount of garbage produced in 2021 is well above the goal of525 kilograms per capita that was set by the Quebec government in 2019 andexpected to be met before 2023.

A report published last year by theBureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement's (BAPE)saidnine of Quebec's 38 landfills would reach capacity by 2030 and 13 others would between 2030 and 2041 if the dumpingof waste continued at the 2019 rate724 kilograms per capita.

In its report, Recyc-Qubec noted that Quebec households managed to reduce the waste placed in garbage bins by five per cent in 2021 compared with 2018. However, during thatsame time period,waste produced by construction and renovation activities jumped by 20 per cent.

Quebec confident it will meet its targets

While individual Quebecers have made improvements in their recycling habits,Marie-Jose Asselin, vice-president of the executive committee of Quebec Citywho is responsible for waste managementthere, saidthe population hasrelied on "a lot of single-use products, take-out items and online shopping" in recent years in part due to the pandemic.

She also said recyclable materials still end up in the garbage all too often.

"When you see cardboard going to the incinerator, or sheets of paper, it's nonsense," she said."Every time we make a bad choice in waste management, we pay the price collectively."

Quebec Environment MinisterBenoit Charettesaid Thursday the amount of waste sent to landfills in Quebec is "still too much," but he's confident the province'stargets set for 2023 will still bet met.

Charettesaid a number of measures to reduce waste are already in place, but "we must give these measures time to [bear fruit]."

However, he said "the work is not finished" and these actions alone will not be enough to right the ship. He promised new measures will be announced over the next year.

For Mnard,a large part of the solution isrethinking our consumption habits.

"Recycling is not the only solution [it's]maybe last thing should do," he said.

"What we should do is consume less products andless packaging and we should have regulations [about] that."