It’s been a month and a half since recycling collection became biweekly in the MRC de Roussillon. For many citizens, this change in routine is proving to be a real headache, as bins are overflowing and some people are now resorting to throwing recyclable materials in the trash.
Translation Amanda Bennett
“I find myself having to throw away or even burn cardboard and paper because I don’t have enough storage space,” said Patrick Massé, a resident of La Prairie. “In my opinion, this situation is illogical and goes against the principles of environmental protection that we are encouraged to respect.”
Following a call for comments on our Ma vie Ma région platform, Gravité Média received about 40 emails from citizens saying they were experiencing problems with the new collection frequency. Nearly half of them said, like Mr. Massé, that they were putting recyclable materials in the trash. Several pointed out that their bins were already full when collection was done weekly.
« This is a problem for our family of four. It fills up after only four or five days most of the time. We are lucky. We have a garage to store the excess recycling, but not everyone has the space to store it elsewhere, » said Pascale Piché, adding that the surplus stored elsewhere quickly fills up the bin that has just been collected.
A question of optimization
The decision to space out recyclable material collections was not made by municipalities or the MRC; it stems from a provincial directive. Since January 1, 2025, Éco Entreprises Québec (Bac Impact) has been responsible for selective collection in Quebec. This organization has simplified the types of materials accepted in the bin: all packaging, containers, and printed matter are now accepted. It is also responsible for standardizing the frequency of collections across the province.
Just before the new collection frequency was implemented, the City of Châteauguay, one of the 11 cities that make up the MRC de Roussillon, shared its concerns with Bac Impact about citizens’ commitment to recycling under this new system. It asked the organization to “analyze and monitor the evolution of citizen participation in recycling, and to adjust accordingly, so that the transition to biweekly collection does not compromise the progress made by our citizens over several years.”
« It’s a change for greater efficiency that works because the rolling bins are sufficient for the vast majority of households. It optimizes the system and also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, » explained Anne-Julie Maltais, Senior Director of Communications at Éco Entreprises Québec. She noted that feedback she has received from the field indicates that it is working well in other regions where collection has been spaced out, even though more materials are accepted in the bin. She emphasizes that a period of adjustment is normal.
In transition
The MRC de Roussillon reports having handled approximately 500 calls related to the change in frequency before the holidays, the majority of which were requests for additional bins. “For such a large area serving 70,000 addresses, the transition is going well overall,” noted Anne-Louise Milot, Director of Communications at the MRC.
Residents can request a second bin from the MRC by contacting them by phone, but there are certain criteria that must be met in order to obtain one, Ms. Milot explained.
When asked whether the MRC has noticed more recyclable materials in the garbage since recycling was spaced out, Ms. Milot said that the contents of the waste are not validated. However, she confirmed that the tonnage of waste did not increase in December 2025 compared to December 2024. On the contrary, it decreased, she said.
One issue remains, which she calls contamination in the blue bin, i.e., the disposal of materials that do not belong in the blue bin. Blinds, air mattresses, computer screens, and furniture are examples recently found in the bins. This situation has not changed since December 1.
What can be done to make room in the bin?
To help residents make more room in the blue bin, the MRC has a few tips. First, any resident who still has a double lid is invited to have it replaced free of charge with a lid without a divider. Requests can be made at info-collectes.ca. The MRC has replaced more than 6,000 lids in recent months.
Only put containers, packaging, and printed materials in the bin. Soiled items can also be placed in the brown bin.
Flatten, fold, or cut up cardboard boxes and participate in special cardboard surplus collections.
Participate in the expanded deposit return program, which accepts cans and all plastic beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L. For now, in the MRC de Roussillon, the only Consignaction service point is located in La Prairie.
