Within the Quartier 21 program, this pilot project is a common drop off point where five merchants of a section of a commercial street bring within proximity of their business their paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal at any time of the day or day of the week. Only the merchants and the recycling truck operator have access to the îlot recycleur which is on the corner of rue St-Mathieu and boulevard Maisonneuve Ouest. 

This project came about in September 2009 due to the reality that street level merchants have trouble recycling because they do not have enough space to store their recyclables and the recycling pickup schedule does not correspond to the opening hours of businesses. 

Besides being adapted for the recycling needs of street level merchants, this innovative system reduces sound, visual, olfactory and even atmospheric pollution by allowing the recycling truck to make fewer stops. This contributes to the overall quality of life within the neighbourhood and reduces greenhouse gases. The cleanliness of the streets is also improved due to the fact that the merchants no longer put their recyclables on the sidewalk and the scattering of recyclables during windy periods is controlled. 

Due to the success of this pilot project within Quartier 21, Éco-quartier Peter-McGIll in collaboration with Perennia, a sustainable design agency, will install four îlots recycleur (renamed îlot vert) in Montreal during the summer of 2010 to reroute an important amount of recyclable residual materials.

Our îlot recycleur is furnished with a green roof! Both aesthetic and functional, green roofs are now one of the most simple and effective way against urban heat islands. They contribute actively to the input of freshness when temperatures are too high and bring a little nature in our neighborhoods! 

6 nearby businesses participate in the project:

-           Anatolia Pizzeria – 1444 rue St-Mathieu

-           Origami – 1452 rue St-Mathieu

-           Pho Nguyen – 1452 rue St-Mathieu

-           Presse Café – 1801 boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest

-           Slick Style Steel – 1841 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest

-           Système New York – 1800 boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest

This project was made possible through the contributions of IGA / Jour de la Terre Québec Écomunicipality Funds.

This project is funded by the Green Fund as part of Action 21 of the 2006-2012 Action Plan on Climate Change of the Government of Quebec.