City of Montreal reports positive results after putting restrictions on Publisac

Just over two years after a by-law came into effect aimed at reducing the environmental impacts associated with promotional flyers, like Publisac, the City of Montreal is reporting positive results – looking to achieve their zero waste goal by 2030.

Before the regulations were put in place, around 800,000 flyers and other unsolicited advertisements were distributed in the city every week, and oftentimes, they weren’t wanted or used by the public.

In total, this amounted to over 40 million flyers per year, which ended up at sorting centres and landfills.

“These results show that simple gestures, such as reversing the way we adhere to ads, can have a positive and direct impact on our environment. Our administration remains resolutely committed to achieving zero waste by 2030 and it is with concrete actions that we will succeed,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

After a mobilization in March 2019, more than 16,000 citizens asked the City of Montreal to implement a voluntary membership to put an end to receiving unsolicited advertising.

Soon after, Montreal adopted the by-law in May 2023.

The City of Montreal’s recycling sorting centres have seen a 40 per cent decrease in newsprint printed materials received between 2023 and 2024, as well as a complete elimination of plastic packaging related to advertising items.

“This regulation is a collective victory for the environment, because it demonstrates that concrete actions, supported by the community, can make a real difference,” said Projet Montréal member Marie-Andrée Mauger. “Reduction at the source, like the one obtained through the by-law on the distribution of promotional items, is one of the key avenues to achieve our ambitious goal of being a zero-waste metropolis and building a more sustainable future for Montrealers.”

In addition, the city’s initiative prompted other cities in Quebec to change their regulations, which led to a major change in the distribution model of flyers.

There’s also been a decrease in the average weight of paper flyers and one year after banning plastic packaging, the city has reported a positive impact on the quality of sorted materials.

According to the data, the weight of flyers distributed annually in Montreal has been reduced, from 20,800 tonnes in 2019 to 3,328 tonnes in 2024. This represents a decrease of nearly 84 per cent in the volume of paper printed.

The new distribution model for flyers is based on a voluntary opt-in system – meaning that residents must request to receive promotional items.

“We are proud of the progress made since this bylaw was passed. Thanks to the commitment of citizens and the actions put in place, we have seen a significant reduction in waste related to advertising flyers,” concluded Plante.