Québec residents looking to recover the deposits on their empty beverage containers without making a trip to a return depot can turn to a service that collects them directly from their homes or businesses.
Go Consigne offers pickup of refundable containers from residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers across Québec, allowing them to have their empties collected and delivered to Consignaction locations in exchange for a portion of their deposit value. The containers are counted before the corresponding credits are applied to customers’ accounts.
CEO Martin Gagné told The Review the service was created in response to changes to Québec’s deposit-return system, with the goal of making it easier for consumers to recover money from containers that might otherwise end up in their recycling bins.
“We offer residential pickup service,” Gagné said. “We pick up the empty containers at the residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional.”
Gagné said the company currently serves all areas of Québec, including the regions of Argenteuil and Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
Customers must register through Go Consigne’s website or mobile application before arranging a pickup. Every 30 days, the company contacts customers by text message or email to ask whether they require a pickup, allowing them to schedule a collection once they have accumulated enough containers.
A minimum of $10 in refundable deposits is required for a pickup, with no maximum quantity. According to Go Consigne’s website, customers must place their containers in closed, transparent bags with a capacity of at least 60 litres. Bags can be left near the front door or in another designated collection location.
Customers are not required to purchase a special storage container to use the service. However, the company offers a 240-litre white storage bin designed to store bags of refundable containers until they are collected by drivers.
Gagné said the bins sell for $159, plus applicable taxes, and that approximately 5,000 have been distributed across the province.
There is no subscription fee for the standard service. Go Consigne retains 38 per cent of the refundable deposit value, returning the remaining 62 per cent to customers before applicable collection fees.
The company also charges recovery fees based on each collection: $5 for collections worth $10 or less, $3 for those between $10 and $20, $2 for those between $20 and $30, and $1 for those between $30 and $40. No recovery fee is charged on collections valued at $40 or more. Customers enrolled in the Go Consigne Plus program are exempt from these additional fees.
Once containers have been delivered to a Consignaction location, they are counted, and the corresponding credits are applied to the customer’s account. Gagné said each bag is identified with a QR code linked to the customer’s account, allowing the company to track the collections throughout the process.
Customers can request an Interac e-Transfer once their account reaches $20 or choose to donate their credits to one of the charitable organizations partnered with Go Consigne.
Gagné said the company has more than 62 foundation partners, and customers can also establish their own fundraising campaigns through the platform.
Go Consigne has collected more than 30 million containers over the past two years and currently has more than 40,000 registered customers, Gagné said.
He described the response to the service as positive, reporting a customer satisfaction rate of nearly 99.9 per cent. Gagné said the company’s application also allows customers to track collection vehicles in real time and communicate directly with drivers.
Go Consigne is aiming to reach 200,000 registered customers by 2028, with Gagné anticipating further growth as Québec’s deposit-return system expands to additional container types.
More information about the service, including registration, collection procedures, and the areas currently served, is available at goconsigne.com.
