Tensions surrounding Quebec’s new deposit system

Food retailers are denouncing the slowness in implementing the new deposit system in Quebec. They deplore the fact that Consignaction, which manages it, has only opened three recovery sites so far and that there is no funding to help them fit out their businesses in compliance with regulations.

It’s a large ocean liner that’s about to set sail on the sea with pieces missingsaid, worried, Michel Rochette, president of the Retail Council of Canada, who wants intervention from Quebec to avoid failure.

We have no insight into the financial mechanics that will affect the establishment around businesses or in a business. We have no information on the financing of all this. We would like to know who will pay what and who will reimburse what.underlines Mr. Rochette.

While Consignaction is slow to unveil the financial framework to set up recovery sites, no retailer has yet started to develop its facilities, obtain automated recovery machines, build an annex or a kiosk outside its premises. commerce to meet the requirements of the new deposit system which will come into force in ten months.

The situation also worries the CEO of the Quebec Food Retailers Association (ADA), Pierre-Alexandre Blouin. mars”,”text”:”There are sites that need to be developed and where appropriate equipment needs to be installed. It requires trades which are difficult to obtain, it requires authorizations, municipal permits. We need to be able to start these constructions very quickly if we want to be ready for March 1″}}”>There are sites that need to be developed and where appropriate equipment needs to be installed. It requires trades which are difficult to obtain, it requires authorizations, municipal permits. We need to be able to start these constructions very quickly if we want to be ready for March 1st.he argues.

The ADA argues that a merchant will not agree to invest several hundred thousand dollars in work without having guarantees that he will be reimbursed by Consignaction. However, the system, in its design, relies largely on the participation of retailers.

It is expected that nearly 75% of recovery sites will be at merchants. This leaves doubt over the implementation by next March of 1,100 recovery locations in businesses.

The deadlines are very, very short.

Retailers fear that, if nothing changes, they will not be able to achieve the objectives set by the government to recover the five billion containers that will be deposited in almost a year. Michel Rochette therefore hopes that the government will reduce the number of places of return provided for in the regulations.

March 2025 to have all the locations as provided for in the regulations.”,”text”:”We hope that the government will be more flexible because we will not be able to have all the locations as provided for in the regulations by March 1, 2025.”} }”>We would like the government to be more flexible because by March 1, 2025 we will not be able to have all the locations as provided for in the regulations.

THE CEO of the ADA, Pierre-Alexandre Blouin, fears for his part that we pick up with a two-speed system (with) very beautiful sites in urban environments and sites completely left to their own devices elsewhere in the Quebec region.

We will ask customers to travel how many additional kilometers to return their containers? This is the problem we risk facing.

By email, Consignaction told Radio-United States that the process to establish the compensation mechanism is underway. We we intend to offer adequate compensation to retailers who will remain players in the deposit system so that they can cover their costs relating to the return of returnable beverage containers in store.