The Challenge
The City of Montreal faces significant waste management challenges with organic materials. The growing urban population generates increasing amounts of organic waste, requiring sustainable disposal solutions. Traditional waste management methods involve long-distance transportation as tricks move the waste away from urban areas), resulting in higher costs and environmental impact. Additionally, organic waste sent to landfill produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change when it decomposes in anaerobic conditions.
Veolia's Solution
Opened in 2024, the Organics Process Center in Saint-Laurent borough processes approximately 50,000 tons of organic waste each year.
The facility is LEED Gold certified and winner of a Mercure award in the category of Health and Safety (Large enterprise) 2025 as part of the prestigious Quebec business awards, Les Mercuriades, organized by the Fédération des Chambres de Commerce du Québec (FCCQ).
- Quebec’s first fully indoor composting facility designed to process 50,000 tons of organic waste annually.
- Advanced odour control systems to minimize community impact, including biofilters and negative air pressure technology that capture and treat all air before release.
- Sophisticated in-vessel composting technology ensuring optimal processing by maintaining precise temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels for accelerated decomposition.
- Automated waste handling systems for efficient operations, reducing manual intervention while maximizing throughput and safety throughout the facility.
- Rigorous quality control measures for consistent compost production, including regular testing for maturity and absence of contaminants.
- Environmental monitoring systems to ensure regulatory compliance, with continuous tracking of emissions, leachate, and other potential environmental impacts.
- Leachate Recovery System: A pasteurization system is in place to limit the use of clean water in the process
The Benefits for Our Clients
Through this cutting-edge facility, Veolia delivers a sustainable circular economy solution for the City of Montreal, transforming organic waste into valuable compost while reducing transportation emissions and supporting the city's environmental objectives. It is a reliable and efficient organic waste management solution with advanced technology ensuring optimal processing regardless of input variations.
Production of approximately 20,000 tons of high-quality local compost annually (certified BNQ), providing Montreal with a sustainable soil amendment resource produced within city limits. It is used as a fertilizer for agriculture, city parks and gardening centers, and also distributed to citizens free of charge.
Significant reduction in transportation costs and associated emissions by eliminating the need to transport organic waste to distant processing facilities.
Support for municipal environmental goals and circular economy initiatives by transforming waste into a valuable resource that can be used within the local community
Enhanced environmental protection through reduced greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise be generated from landfilling organic materials.
Year-round processing capability ensuring consistent service despite seasonal fluctuations in waste generation.
A building integrated harmoniously within its community ensuring social acceptability for the project.