EPR: Quebec companies, be ready for 2025!

You may have heard, but in 2022, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) came into effect in Quebec. This marked the beginning of an overhaul of the selective collection system for businesses. A big step towards a sustainable future, that’s for sure!

So, EPR: for what, for who, how and CARTIER’s contribution… We tell you all about this recycling revolution, and we’ll be happy to help you comply!

If you’re a Quebec company selling products to the consumer market, you must comply with the mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. Basically, for the time being, this means that you are responsible for the end-of-life management of the materials used to package your products. In other words, it means that you’ll have to pay a certain amount for all the materials you put on the market, so for each package you send out, you’ll be billed a certain amount.

Since October 2022, Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) has been the designated management organization (DMO) for:

• Oversee the implementation of EPR;
• Oversee the transition from a linear to a circular collection system;
• Support the companies involved.

Although EPR is mandatory, it should not be seen as an inconvenience. Rather, it’s a way of raising companies’ awareness of current packaging management issues and encouraging them to invest more in sustainable packaging design. The end result? A significant reduction in their environmental impact, and an impressive entry into modern selective collection!

Does your company market products using containers, packaging and printed materials in Quebec? If not, you can skip this article 😉. If so, stop funding a system that you don’t control: finally become responsible for the end-of-life management of your packaging products!

EPR opens the door to a truly circular economy. Think about it: financing the collection, sorting and recycling of your materials through a monetary contribution literally puts you in a strategic position that encourages innovation and sustainable practices. And the easier your products are to recycle, the lower your contribution will be.

Have you grasped the benefits of this new era of selective collection? We’re here to help you meet your new challenges! Reducing your materials without increasing the risk of breakage is not only possible, it’s our specialty. There’s no doubt that for most of your products, you’ll generate less packaging in circulation, and more benefits for the planet.

What’s more, opting for eco-designed alternatives will undoubtedly reduce your GHG emissions and the cost of managing the end-of-life of your products. An ecological and economic gain? You couldn’t hope for better!
 

In 2025, adjustments will be made to the current regulation, so that a wider range of companies offering products using containers, packaging and printed materials will have to comply with EPR. In the near future, not only materials destined for end consumers will have to be declared to Éco Entreprises Québec, but also all those destined for institutions, businesses and industries. Yes, the selective collection revolution is well and truly underway. And CARTIER will make sure you don’t miss out!

Are you one of the companies affected? Let us accompany you on this wonderful adventure of responsible and innovative management. Time, efficiency, money: you’ll be delighted to see how much our eco-design strategies can save you!