Consignaction is spearheading one of the most significant modernizations of deposit-refund systems in North America. As the official brand for that system in Quebec, it unites producers, retailers and value-chain partners around the common vision of maximizing beverage container recovery and accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

Consignaction is a private organization that has been designated by the Quebec government to manage the modernized deposit-refund system on behalf of producers. Its mandate is to develop, implement, manage and finance a province-wide recovery system for deposit-bearing beverage containers, ensuring their recycling and reuse.

At the heart of this transformation, Consignaction has rolled out a brand-new, modern, accessible, and efficient recovery network to facilitate the return of deposit-bearing containers across the province. Ultimately, the volume of deposit-bearing containers will reach approximately 5 billion units, more than double what was handled prior to the system’s modernization.

This network currently handles aluminum, plastic, and glass beverage containers; multi-layer cardboard containers will be added over the coming year. Consignaction continues to develop the system to support Quebec’s ambitious recovery, recycling and reuse goals while contributing to the circular economy.

By managing the modernized deposit-refund system and developing a simple and accessible return experience for citizens, Consignaction helps maximize container returns, improve the quality of recovered materials and foster their reintegration into the circular economy.

Thanks to this large-scale rollout within an Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) framework, Consignaction now stands as a benchmark for innovation and collaboration.