2024 – Montreal Public Markets

” This is terrible. This is rude. We have to worry about composting,” says Angel Deblois. Jean-Talon of Sustainable Markets just learned that Montreal's major public markets do not have composting facilities.

The group Mères au front de Montréal and the association québécoise Zero Déchet went to the Jean-Talon market on Sunday morning to inform customers about this situation, which they consider “unacceptable”.

“We are citizens who make compost at home. We try to be zero waste, eat less meat. It's surprising to see that the big institutions are not making an effort,” says Nathalie Ainslie of Mères au front and the association Québécoise Zero Déchet.

Five minutes after arriving at the market, they were asked to leave the facility. They continued their outreach work during the rain. They encouraged consumers to send letters to elected officials of the City of Montreal and the Montreal community to expedite the process of implementing a composting solution.

“It's not appropriate. I didn't think it was possible,” says Valeria Moro when she arrives at the market. A few years ago, his daughter was engaged in deshetharism, or take a dump, in Jean-Talon market. This method consists of searching garbage cans for food that can still be consumed to avoid food waste. “But I thought it was settled now. I hope that measures will be taken. »

340 tons of organic matter

Jean-Talon Market itself promoted composting in 2008 by providing workshops and composting bags, recalls Natalie Ainslie. He says he is surprised that there is no composting facility after 16 years.

The Société des marchés publics de Montréal estimates that businesses in the Jean-Talon market produce about 500 tonnes of waste per year. 340 tons of it are organic materials.

When organic matter is buried, it produces methane, which contaminates soil and water and contributes to overflowing landfills. Composting allows us to recycle material to enrich the soil, explains M.ⁱ Ainslie.

Press reported in November that there were no composting facilities. The administration of the Jean-Talon Market also removed one of the two compost bins that the Crêperie Market had installed for the business.

Less recovery than expected

The market's waste management areas include a cold room for the recovery of unsold fruit and vegetables. Launched in the summer of 2017 by the Community Resource and Action Center (CRACPP) of La Petite-Patrie under the name “Made Harvest”, this initiative was supposed to save 200 tons of food annually.

“We support this initiative before it goes to compost. But we know that the program is not systematic, there are not many merchants who participate in it,” regrets M.ⁱ Ainslie.

Between 2017 and 2022, an average of 33 tons of fruits and vegetables were processed and redistributed to citizens in need.

With Charles-Eric Blaise-Poulin, Press