Recyc-Québec says it is not surprised by the findings made by Le Journal in sorting centers and published in our Friday pages.

• Read also: [PHOTOS] Diapers, syringes and bowling balls thrown away for recycling!

• Read also: The recycling bill is climbing at Cascades

Supporting photos, Le Journal demonstrated the multitude of objects that end up by mistake in recycling, such as bowling balls, syringes and a toilet.

“It does not surprise me in the context of working with sorting centers. We have been carrying out awareness campaigns for several years. At this level, you have to make recurring efforts to remind people what is really going in the bin. Sometimes it's not a bad intention of people, "said Sophie Langlois-Blouin, Vice-President Operations Performance at Recyc-Québec.

"I never assume anyone's bad intentions or bad faith. Sometimes, it can be an error between two bins, but what we see is that the vast majority of Quebecers participate in the collection of recyclable materials. They find that it is important and in this sense, they must be encouraged to continue their efforts. »

Rejection rate

According to Recyc-Québec, in 2018, the quantities of materials rejected by sorting centers increased compared to 2015. In all, 114,000 tonnes of materials were rejected, or 11.4% of the materials received, compared to 91 000 tonnes (or 9.1%) in 2015.

“There are two elements that can influence rejection rates: materials that should not have ended up in the recycling bin and materials that have no recycling or recovery outlet. »

For example, markets are virtually non-existent for bags of chips, granola bar wrappers and applesauce pouches.

“I saw in the article the swimming pool steps. [...] Just because it's plastic doesn't necessarily mean it goes in the bin. There are often other options for these subjects, such as the ecocentre,” she says.

Where are you going?

If in doubt, Ms. Blouin suggests consulting the application Ça va quoi?

In 2021, Recyc-Québec conducted a study which revealed that 97% of Quebecers said they used their recycling bin.