Plan
Waste management
This category covers the entire life cycle of products, goods and waste, from origin to management.
The actions illustrated here are for companies that want to minimize waste generation and improve their waste management sustainably. Waste covers several major categories, such as food waste, electronic materials, hazardous and non-hazardous materials, biomedical waste, pesticides, fertilizing material waste, and equipment.
Action 1
Reduce food waste and recover food surpluses
An estimated 1.2 million tons of food is lost or wasted every year in Quebec. To reduce this waste, we have to better evaluate the amount of food needed and reduce portions, redistribute food surpluses to local community aid organizations, enable the use of personal containers and prioritize reusable products for food containers, dishes, utensils and napkins.
Guides and reference material
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Recovering organic waste at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Montréal’s Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 1,000 tons annually. To achieve this goal, it became the first hotel in the Fairmont Group to adopt the Solucycle robot, a Quebec technology that automates recycling, transformation and recovery of food residue from some 3,000 meals the hotel serves every day. Residue is first processed into organic sludge, then treated at a biomethanization plant and converted to biogas.
Objective: Zero Loss, La Transformerie
Rescapés+: Mutual aid and mutualization in action, La Transformerie
Flours made from brewing residues, Coop Boomrang
Action 2
Implement a waste management system
For instance, by installing equipment for sorting and recovering waste, recyclables and compostables at the event site, you reduce the annual volume of waste sent to landfills in Quebec – over 6 million tons.
Guides and reference material
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Visit to the complexe Desjardins sorting centre
The Complexe Desjardins has three towers with 77 floors, a shopping centre, a food court and a 660-room hotel. To facilitate waste management and reduce spending and losses, a sorting centre was installed on site. The result: waste recycling, recovery and reclamation exceeded 90% in 2024, and the initial goal of saving 100 tons of waste annually was exceeded (doubled!) in just 10 months.
Recovering organic waste at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Examples of organic waste management by companies, RECYC-QUÉBEC
Action 3
Adopt a zero-waste policy
A zero-waste policy can involve using reusable dishes, glasses and utensils rather than their single-use alternative, avoiding individual or disposable food packaging or using a reusable coffee cup and water bottle.
Guides and reference material
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Boco Boco zero waste grocery store
Boco Boco zero waste grocery store offers over 750 products, 98% of which are from Quebec suppliers, with 66% of those located within 150 kilometres of the Montréal company. In addition to shopping in store, customers can also preorder products for delivery via a fleet of Communauto electric vehicles. With each delivery, the company recovers empty refundable containers from the previous week, which it washes for reuse.
Palais des congrès and Coop Incita
Action 4
Give electronics equipment a second life by repairing, reconditioning and responsible recycling
Giving electronics equipment a second life is essential for minimizing its environmental impact. Repairing, reconditioning and responsible recycling extends the life of these products, reducing the amount of waste generated.
To help you safely manage your obsolete or end-of-life electronics equipment, the Electronic Products Recycling Association of Quebec (EPRA-Québec) offers a recycling program for companies. Once the electronics equipment is collected and sorted, it is sent to a recycling facility where it is dismantled to remove any substances of concern for appropriate downstream management. The other materials, such as metals, plastics and glass, are also recovered to make new products.
Guides and reference material
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Intelligent recycling bins for electronic devices, GPS Climat
To reduce their ecological footprint and the cost of waste management, the real estate management company Cominar installed intelligent recycling bins for electronics devices, which can then be restored or recycled by certified recyclers. Since this initiative began in 2018, 32,329 electronics devices have been collected and recovered responsibly thanks to the 13 participating owners of the management company.
STM and Insertech, Reuse of computer equipment
ARTM and Insertech, Reuse of computer equipment
Action 5
Mutualize resources through inter-company synergy
Enable businesses to exchange resources, goods and raw materials. This offers a second life to a company’s unused or unsold materials by transforming them into inputs for another.
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Atelier Espace Fabrik, Mutualization between designers and the studio
To reduce fabric waste and integrate circular economy practices, Atelier Espace Fabrik recovers destocked fabric from the ends of local designer’s collections to reuse it for creative projects. It selects quality fabric in good condition from creators to make it available through the studio.
Café William, Reuse of jute bags
TOOLS
To go further
Take the next step by consulting the evolving directory of relevant circular economy resources.
You’ll find more actions to take, as well as expert advice.