Consignaction plans to raise ecofees on Quebec’s reusable beer bottles by up to 8 Canadian cents

Consignaction plans to raise environmental fees by as much as 8 Canadian cents on reusable beer bottles in Quebec as the province prepares to expand its deposit system in March 2027, according to FM93/98.5, citing a recent report by La Presse.

The proposed increase would help pay for the construction of a new glass processing plant in Sorel, the broadcaster reported Sunday. The planned facility is tied to the next phase of Quebec’s deposit system overhaul, which is expected to widen the range of containers covered by the program.

The report has quickly drawn attention because it points to a possible shift in how the costs of the deposit and recycling system are shared across beverage categories. If the increase goes ahead, the price of returnable beer packaging could rise, while some of the investment needed to handle more glass in the system would be financed through fees tied to beer bottles. That could become an important issue for brewers, retailers, and consumers, and it may also influence the cost balance between beer and other glass-packaged drinks such as wine.

FM93/98.5 said the higher fees would apply to reusable beer bottles, with the increase reaching up to 8 cents per bottle. The station did not report a final implementation date for the fee change beyond linking it to the broader deposit expansion scheduled for March 2027.

The issue was discussed on the broadcaster’s Sunday program “Signé Lévesque,” where commentator Myriam Ségal reacted to the plan. In remarks aired by 98.5, she argued that beer drinkers would effectively be asked to bear added costs to finance recycling infrastructure that would also serve wine consumers. That characterization reflects her opinion, but it underscores the fairness debate now emerging around the financing model.

The source material did not provide a detailed breakdown of how the proposed ecofee would be calculated, whether all brewers would face the same increase, or how much of the Sorel project’s total cost would be covered by bottle-related charges. It also did not say whether the added fee would be absorbed somewhere along the supply chain or passed directly to consumers through shelf prices.

Even so, the proposal is significant because Quebec’s deposit system has long relied on returnable beer bottles as one of its most established streams. Any increase in the costs attached to those containers is likely to be closely watched by the beer industry, which already operates within a reusable packaging model that depends on collection, sorting, transport, and cleaning. Adding a new environmental fee could alter those economics, especially for companies with high bottle volumes.

The Sorel plant is expected to play a role in managing larger volumes of recovered glass once the expanded deposit system takes effect. Quebec has been moving to modernize and broaden container recovery, and the glass stream has been a central operational issue because glass requires specialized sorting and processing. A dedicated facility could help improve material recovery and reduce contamination, but the question of who pays remains sensitive.

That tension is especially relevant in the beverage business, where packaging costs can directly affect margins and pricing. Beer in Quebec has traditionally been associated with reusable bottles, while wine has more often been sold in non-refillable glass formats. If the financing structure places more of the burden on returnable beer containers, some market participants may argue that it redistributes recycling costs in a way that does not fully match where future glass volumes will come from under the expanded system.

At this stage, the available information points to a plan rather than a completed decision. FM93/98.5 reported that Consignaction “expects” or “plans” to raise the ecofees, based on the recent La Presse reporting. Public reaction and industry feedback could still shape how the final measure is designed, including the amount charged and the way it is applied.

The development comes just months before the next major milestone in Quebec’s deposit reform. With March 2027 approaching, companies across the beverage sector are likely to seek more clarity on fee structures, operational requirements, and the broader funding model behind new recycling infrastructure, including the proposed plant in Sorel.