Brossard, February 23^rd, 2022 – In recent weeks, several media reports and columns have reported on the performance of sorting centres serving the Montreal region. Beyond the improvements that need to be made and that Ricova has been working on since the recovery of the sorting centers’ operations, it is important to set the record straight.

“A recent article from La Presse attempts to make ties between Ricova and organized crime. This is totally false. I have never dealt with criminals, and I will never do so,” says Dominic Colubriale, Ricova’s President and CEO. “When certain medias insinuate that the waste management industry is infiltrated by criminal organizations and that my company, my managers, my family, or I have a relationship with them, this directly affects our integrity and is totally false. My family business, a pioneer in the recycling of recyclable materials for more than 20 years, is not acting against the law, nor supports in any way, shape or form criminalized organizations or individuals.”

The article in La Presse raises questions with respect to two brokers, mandated by Ricova to collect and transport materials, who would have links with a group of bikers sympathizing with the Hells Angels. “We do all the verifications that are allowed under the current Laws, when we sign a contract with any brokers,” says Colubriale. Ricova is actually investigating these allegations and confirms that it will not do business with any persons or corporations related to the organized crime.

For Ricova, now is the time to educate all stakeholders, citizens, and elected officials, about the recycling loop. “After speaking with representatives of the City and the Official Opposition in the last few days, we look towards the future to help inform citizens about good recycling practices and continue to improve the performance of the two sorting centres in Montreal,” says Colubriale. So, as was done in 2021 through a massive awareness campaign against batteries in the recycling bin, Ricova will soon be implementing other initiatives that will enable citizens to protect the lives of sorting centre employees and help improve sorted materials.

“We hope as much as anyone that recyclable materials sorted by Montreal sorting centres are of sufficient quality to be sold here in Quebec or in North America,” added Colubriale. “We have invested more than $3 million in new equipment in the Montreal sorting centres, including five new optical sorters, which has had an immediate impact on the quality of the sorted materials.” Unfortunately, the medias do not report on the significant progress in the performances of the sorting centers in Montreal, including the reductions in the contamination of the bales. Thanks to the improvements, the contamination rate of mixed paper is now close to 12%, which is lower than the average of all sorting centres in Quebec¹.

It is essential to set the facts straight on both Ricova and recycling management in Quebec. We stood out of the debate, despite what seems to us an inappropriate insistence by certain medias. We deplore what we see as a desire to harm Ricova’s business and reputation” concludes Colubriale.

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