Montreal, June 22, 2026 – The organization that administers Quebec's beverage container deposit program announced today that it will assume responsibility for both the collection and processing of glass containers. The move comes as the province expands its deposit-return system to include wine bottles, and it is being supported with several million dollars in provincial funding.
Under the new arrangement, the agency will manage glass bottles from the point they are returned by consumers through to their final recycling stages. By centralizing these operations, officials say the program will gain greater control over the quality and efficiency of glass recycling as the range of eligible containers widens.
The decision aligns with recent government initiatives that have allocated funds to existing recycling firms to accommodate the upcoming inclusion of wine bottles. While the deposit system already covers a broad spectrum of beverage containers, the addition of wine bottles represents a notable expansion of its scope.
Representatives of the Quebec glass industry have been consulted throughout the planning process. Their involvement is intended to ensure that the increased volume of glass entering the system can be handled without disrupting current recycling capacities.
Provincial authorities view the direct handling of glass by the deposit agency as a means to streamline operations and maintain consistency across the entire container stream. The funding provided is expected to cover the necessary upgrades to collection infrastructure and processing facilities, allowing the system to meet the anticipated rise in glass returns.
The agency's shift to direct processing marks a significant step in Quebec's broader effort to enhance its circular economy. By overseeing the full lifecycle of glass containers, the program aims to improve recovery rates and reduce the environmental impact associated with discarded glass.