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---  Gatineau unveils new waste management plan

Gatineau is determined to become a zero-waste city with a circular economy -- says its new waste management plan (Plan de gestion des matières résiduelles (PGMR)) for 2022 to 2028, adopted by city council, July 6, 2021. 

The city says the plan results from extensive consultation with the citizens and stakeholders. It includes meeting governmental waste management objectives -- the 3RV-E hierarchy (reduce at source, reuse, recycle, recover, and dispose). Reducing and reusing are key steps. The plan will make residences, businesses, and institutions accountable for adopting the best ecological practices of sorting, recovering, and managing waste, all based on the principles of a circular economy.

The plan commits the city to improving everyone's access to waste management programs and services, to informing the population about them, and to making the city a leading example of the best waste management practices. 

For local industries, businesses, and institutions (ICI), the city accepts the goals in the Quebec government’s Politique québécoise de gestion des matières résiduelles (PQGMR) -- recovering 75% of recyclable matter, 60% of compostable matter, and 70% of CRD waste. This includes strengthening rules for disposing of certain foods, bulky waste, wood, and textiles.

In residential areas and for city departments the goals are higher:  85% of recyclables, compostable matter, and CRD waste, and 75% of textiles. The plan continues its focus on personal waste-creation habits.

Guides (in French and English) will be distributed via mail on how to properly manage residual waste, and these will be posted at city service centres and libraries -- and posted on the city’s website and DTRITUS app.

----- Circular economy: more jobs, less pollution

 Circular economies have shown better job creation and a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Gatineau is doing well: in 2019, it topped Quebec's large cities, producing the least amount of waste per person (287 kg of waste each) – almost 100 kg less than the second-place city.

Thanks to the 2016-2020 plan's success, Gatineau's household waste dropped by 18%, compared to 2013.

City council's Commission sur le développement du territoire, l’habitation, et l’environnement urges everyone's attention to waste reduction for environmental protection and to maintain a residential quality of life. Commission president, Councillor Marquis-Bissonnette, advises that this vision "depend(s) on the mobilization and commitment of all the players involved.”

Aylmer district councillor Audrey Bureau told the Aylmer Bulletin that the new plan's focus is on reducing ICIs’ waste-production, after dealing with domestic waste last year. She says most businesses are aware of their role in waste reduction.

One consideration is to offer city compost, recycling, and waste collection services to ICIs, which now buy the services from private companies. Bureau says Québec plans to raise business  composting levels to 60% by 2024 --up from last year's 7%. 

On July 6, Bureau asked Council to mandate higher minimum standards than those proposed. "We can do better than the lowest standard,” argued Bureau. “

----- Eco-centre needed in west sector

Lucerne councillor Gilles Chagnon told the Bulletin concrete steps to  reach the objectives are needed. An eco-centre in the west sector, for example. “As long as there isn’t an eco-centre in the west, you can’t expect the west to (reach the targets),” Chagnon said. “The city needs to raise public awareness and that also needs improvement," Chagnon said; "not everybody goes on the city’s website.”