Close to one million cooling appliances recovered: GoRecycle wants to make recycling second nature in Québec

GoRecycle celebrates five years of collective action and the commitment of more than 170 members across Québec

SAINT-LAMBERT, QC, Oct. 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- Five years after its creation, GoRecycle is reporting significant results: close to one million cooling and air conditioning appliances have been collected by the organization across Québec. This mobilization, made possible by the commitment of its members and a whole network of partners, will have prevented more than 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2026, and has allowed close to 45,000 tonnes of materials from the recovered appliances to be recovered as of today. Having built a Québec-wide network capable of delivering concrete results, the organization now wants to build on this momentum and make GoRecycle top of mind when it's time to dispose of an end-of-life appliance.

Five years of building a network in every corner of Québec

Since its creation, GoRecycle has been developing free and accessible solutions to simplify the responsible recycling of end-of-life cooling and air conditioning appliances. This system relies first and foremost on members who chose to believe in the mission, invest in it and share their knowledge of the field to help it succeed.

Together with municipalities, retailers, recyclers and collection partners, GoRecycle's members have gradually built a network capable of collecting these appliances across Québec and turning their materials into new resources rather than aste. Their commitment has made it possible to adapt services to the realities of different regions and make it easier for residents to do the right thing.

Over five years, this approach has allowed GoRecycle to generate significant environmental benefits:

• Close to one million appliances collected across Québec;
• More than 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions prevented by the end of 2026;
• More than 95% of the materials contained in the appliances recovered;
• Close to 700 collection locations across Québec;
• More than 170 members mobilized around the organization's mission.

Challenges that go beyond collecting appliances

Setting up this network required deploying services suited to the reality of a territory as vast as Québec, whether it is the free doorstep pickup offered in several municipalities or collection in more remote regions.

The challenge is also behavioural. Leaving appliances on the curb unfortunately remains a common habit in Québec, despite its negative impact on the environment. At a time when residents are exposed to a multitude of environmental messages, GoRecycle must continue to raise awareness of the consequences of this practice, promote the available collection solutions and make recycling cooling appliances second nature for Québecers.

Making it easy to do the right thing, across Québec

This anniversary is a reminder that the main challenge in the coming years will be to keep changing habits. An end-of-life cooling or air conditioning appliance should never be left on the curb. It must always be taken to a drop-off point or entrusted to a GoRecycle partner so that it can be treated safely and responsibly.

To encourage this change in habits and make it easier to adopt the right behaviour, GoRecycle, together with its members, continues to develop and enable solutions suited to regional realities. In 2025, the organization launched a free doorstep pickup service, with no purchase required, in several municipalities. This service complements the other options already available to make recycling more accessible: public drop-off points, collection events and pickup with purchase.

"These first five years show what we can achieve when residents, municipalities, retailers, our members and our partners work together and rally around a common goal. The results speak for themselves: one simple gesture, entrusting your end-of-life cooling or air conditioning appliance to GoRecycle, significantly reduces your environmental impact. Together, we can now go even further and make responsible recycling a habit across Québec."  

– Jules Foisy Lapointe, Executive Director, GoRecycle

About GoRecycle

GoRecycle is the only organization recognized by RECYC-QUÉBEC to ensure the responsible recovery and recycling of household appliances in Québec. We operate nearly 700 collection locations, including close to 400 public drop-off sites across the province. Our mission is to mobilize all stakeholders in Québec to recover and recycle refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment responsibly. We aim to make a meaningful contribution to the fight against climate change and to waste reduction—because with every appliance collected, we prevent GHG emissions and waste from being released into the environment.

SOURCE GoRecycle

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