Public recycling bins popular: survey

If you supply the bin, they will recycle.

A CROP survey looking at the recycling habits of Quebecers away from their homes found that where recycling bins are made available, 83 per cent of Quebecers said they always use them, while 15 per cent use them only occasionally.

The survey was conducted on behalf of Éco Entreprises Québec, which helps distribute recycling bins in municipalities throughout the province.

Respondents said they used them mainly to recycle water bottles (71 per cent), newspapers and printed materials (62 per cent), milk or juice containers (47 per cent) and coffee cups (39 per cent). Threequarters of those interviewed said they would like to see more recycling bins in public spaces, particularly along parks and in commercial streets.

Éco Entreprises Québec manages the Away From Home Recovery Program, which provides financial assistance for the purchase of recycling bins to be installed in municipal public spaces in Quebec. The program reimburses 70 per cent of the cost of recycling bins in public spaces, up to $840 per unit. To date, over 11,000 bins were installed in the province, for a total investment of $5.5 million.

The program has an $8-million budget financed in equal parts by voluntary contributions from Éco Entreprises Québec and Quebec’s Ministry of the environment and sustainable development.