STM - Society in motion

Bins and trash cans will soon be on the move beacause of our own waste management plan throughout the métro network! Over the coming weeks, the 1 600 wall-mounted trash cans  and 245 paper collection bins will be gradually removed from the platforms throughout the métro network. They will be replaced by 336 “islands” featuring two sections, one for trash and the other for the collection of recyclable materials – plastic, glass, metal, newspapers, cardboard – that will share space primarily in the entrances and on the mezzanines of the métro stations. In the short term, the objective of this major change is to cut the quantity of trash in half and double the quantity of recycled materials. In the long term, we would like to ensure that there is as little trash as possible and more recyclable materials. A benchmarking study in other transit companies and an examination of international standards revealed that placing collection bins and trash cans on the upper level of stations makes it easier to manage the pick-up of trash and recyclable items as well as safety on the platforms.

The project will also have a major impact on the habits of transit users, and nothing will be left to chance in relation to awareness, information and signage to guide them through the transition period. Directional signage, among other things, should ease the way for clients enabling them to quickly establish a routine and easily find the proper containers into which to throw their trash and recyclable materials.