1. Urban furniture made of polystyrene and recycled glass in Rivière-Beaudette

The municipality of Rivière-Beaudette in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges RCM has installed urban furniture made from 50% polystyrene and 20 to 30% recycled glass. The glass comes from the regional curbside recycling collection: proof positive that putting your glass in the bin is useful! The urban furniture is made by the Simax company, which is located in Repentigny and sources its materials from the Tricentris materials recovery facility.

What other types of urban furniture can you find throughout the municipality? Keep an eye out for chairs, benches and planters.

This initiative is the perfect example to show how recycling is a true circular economy in and of itself, and that citizen participation in curbside recycling can have a true impact locally.

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2. Glass along the Nova Lumina path in Chandler

To help trace the lighted path through the Nova Lumina forest in Chandler - a creation of Moment Factory - recycled crushed glass was used instead of sand and gravel. The unconventional covering is more quiet, which enhances visitors' experience in addition to being softer under foot.

In the Gaspé region, using recycled glass in unexpected places is not new. There, you'll find glass used as mulch in urban landscaping arrangements or as backfill material in water system projects.

In Grande-Rivière, the Régie intermunicipale de traitement des matières résiduelles de la Gaspésie (RITMRG) set up new equipment in 2016 that recycles 99% of the glass, which will then be reused locally.

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3. Recycled glass sidewalks in Repentigny

The next time you're in Repentigny, don't forget to pass by Boulevard Industriel and stroll down its new recycled glass powder sidewalks. Indeed, between Leclerc and Laroche Streets, the sidewalk is partially made of glass from curbside recycling.

The project is part of the municipality's strategic vision that aims to increase the integration of sustainable development.

Fun fact: Concrete that contains glass powder "performs better in terms of durability, resistance and waterproofing." With our harsh winters, needless to say that's excellent news! Glass powder also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, "one tonne of glass powder added to concrete means that one less tonne of greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere from the concrete manufacturing process."

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4. The city of Plessisville uses glass powder to filter the water of its municipal pool

Last summer was a special one for the city of Plessisville and its swimming installations. A new pool was opened, to the delight of the city's population. Why are we including that story in this article celebrating the second life of recyclable materials? Because the water filtration system uses granulated glass.

Glass bottles collected from the city's territory "ensure the proper functioning of the municipal pool's filtration system." In order to continue that trend, green spaces now replace asphalt for families who like to come and relax in the area.

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5. The RCM of Haute-Yamaska reviews the recyclability of polystyrene

Polystyrene, the famous plastic #6, is very rarely recycled in Quebec and most often ends up in the garbage. Why? This material is cheap to buy but expensive to process, and buyers are becoming increasingly rare.

For the last 5 years already, people in Granby and Waterloo have been able to drop off polystyrene at their eco-center by separating it according to its function: food trays or packing blocks, as they will be sent to different companies.

• Food trays will go up to the Laurentians, to Groupe Gagnon in Prévost. The company integrates polystyrene "in the composition of lightweight concrete that is used to manufacture urban furniture, like park benches."
• As for packing blocks, they are sent to Polyform, where the polystyrene is shredded and processed into beads that will be integrated into the manufacturing of other products, like shower bases, spa coverings and various construction materials.

Learn more here

Do you know of any other examples of great green initiatives? Don't hesitate to contact us, we'll be happy to share them!