Material recovery facilities (MRFs) are a critical link in the recycling value chain, yet their operating conditions vary widely.
In Quebec, this diversity is reflected in the different approaches facilities have adopted to sort cartons—demonstrating that effective recovery depends on solutions adapted to local realities rather than standardized models.
residential recycling streams. Of these, 16 now sort cartons separately into dedicated bales instead of mixing them with other fibre grades. This “positive sorting” approach helps preserve the long virgin fibres found in cartons, supports alternative recycling pathways such as building materials, and broadens access to end markets.
Over the past five years, CCC Managing Director Isabelle Faucher has visited dozens of MRFs across Canada, observing both best practices and operational challenges. In 2025, many of these visits focused on Quebec, where facilities illustrate a wide range of sorting models.
In Montreal’s Lachine borough, a City-owned MRF operated by Société VIA relies mainly on optical sorting to recover cartons, producing about 85 tonnes per month. In contrast, the small MRF in Grande-Rivière, Gaspésie, uses a unique looped conveyor system around an optical sorter, well suited to low volumes, with carton output of roughly four tonnes per month.
Other facilities combine technologies. In Roberval, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, cartons are recovered through a mix of optical and manual sorting, while some aseptic cartons are captured using eddy current technology. In the City of Saguenay, carton recovery remains fully manual despite modern equipment, aligning performance goals with the social-economy mission of the operator. Granby, meanwhile, stands out as the only Quebec MRF using a robot dedicated to carton sorting, supported by manual backup.
For CCC, these examples underscore a central message: there is no single “best” way to sort cartons. Facility size, available labour, technology, and end-market access all influence which approach works best. As CCC members pursue a 70% blended carton recycling and collection target by 2030, flexibility and collaboration across the recycling value chain will remain essential.
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The Carton Council of Canada (CCC) is a coalition of companies working together to develop sustainable solutions aimed at increasing the recovery and recycling of cartons in Canada.
Source: Carton Council of Canada
