Explosion of reports at 311: “We live in a culture of the right to throw”, denounces a garbage collector

Montrealers live in a society that gives them the right to throw anything and anything, which may explain the explosion of reports related to malpropreté, according to experts.

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“We live in a culture of the right to throw away and. in addition, we can complain if it is not clean enough!” denounces Simon Paré-Poupart, garbage collector and author of Garbage!: Diary of a drain, Published last year at Lux Éditeur.

Montreal received a record of nearly 45,000 reports in connection with the Malpropreté last year, around 7,700 more than the previous year.

This number is “enormous. Furthermore, abnormal”, according to Karel Ménard, director general of the Quebec Common Front for ecological waste management.

“There is perhaps an increase in the lack of citizens of explosion reports 311: “we live citizens. combined with collections which are no longer adapted to reality,” analyzes Karel Ménard.

More and more trucks

The collection and management of residual materials have never cost the Montreal administration as much: $ 245.5 million in 2024, or almost $ 100 million more than ten years ago, according to the last financial statements in the city.

“There have never been so many trucks that circulate in a city in a week. especially compared to twenty years ago. There are garbage cans, recycling, green residue collections, collections of large scraps, ”lists Simon Paré-Poupart.

He believes that the citizen must also assume his share of responsibility if he wants a cleaner city.

“The city cannot go behind the citizens to pick up the changes that are thrown on the left. right,” adds Karel Ménard.

“We all have a job to do, including producers. We are constantly flooded with increasingly disposable goods. explosion reports 311: “we live It takes up space in the trash, “he says.

Carrot or stick?

Montreal gives tickets ranging from $ 250 to $ 1,000 for non-compliance with waste collection moments.

Karel Ménard believes that it is also necessary to invest substantial sums in awareness.

For his part, Simon Péré-Poupart advocates the empowerment of citizens.

He gives the example of the city of Beaconsfield, which taxes citizens according to the amount of garbage they produce.

“It is an incentive to throw less. We also need high-performance ecocentrics, which raise awareness, deposit points near people to deposit garbage, ”he believes.