Publisac: TC Transcontinental will participate in the City of Montréal’s public consultation

MONTREAL, Dec. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TC Transcontinental, owner of the Publisac, has reviewed the recommendation submitted on November 27 by the City of Montréal’s Finance and Administration Commission to “evaluate the environmental and financial costs of the large-scale distribution of Publisacs”. In this context, the City of Montréal announced on November 28 that this recommendation will be subject to a public consultation as part of the review of its Waste Management Master Plan (WMMP), during the first three months of 2019.

TC Transcontinental will participate in this consultation in order to uphold that, in accordance with the Environment Quality Act, companies that produce recyclable materials such as the Publisac are responsible for financing recovery services, and not the municipalities. In addition, the Corporation will explain that the Publisac is a responsibly managed product from an environmental standpoint, and an important vehicle for citizens, the economy and democratic vitality.

“With consultations on flyer distribution already conducted by the cities of Halifax (2018), Calgary (2016) and Ottawa (2003), we understand the willingness on the part of the City of Montréal to consider the matter,” stated François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. We will attest to the significant popularity of the Publisac which helps households save money, ensures the viability of local weeklies, and promotes the local and regional economy in the face of the new global e-commerce giants. We intend to collaborate in a constructive manner with all of the City’s decision-making bodies.”

Furthermore, it must be noted that the printed content and the Publisac’s plastic bag are both recyclable in the bin. The recovery rate for newspapers and newsprint inserts and flyers in Québec is 86%¹. Moreover, TC Transcontinental – as distributor of the Publisac – and its retailer customers pay several million dollars in contributions each year to Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ), as do all companies that put containers, packaging and printed matter on the market in Québec, thereby assuming 100% of the net costs of efficient and effective curbside recycling services, including those of sorting facilities.

Mr. Olivier added: “It is important for us to respect the freedom of choice of Québec citizens to receive or not to receive the Publisac and, to this end, we already put pictograms at their disposal as well as digital versions of the flyers on . Nevertheless, the vast majority of them still prefer to consult the Publisac in printed format and I am in fact very proud of the benefits that it has been providing for families, communities and businesses in Québec for many decades. Today, about 4,500 dedicated people produce and distribute the Publisac every week, including close to 1,000 full-time employees at TC Transcontinental.”

A fact sheet entitled “Publisac: Did You Know?” is available on and .

About TC Transcontinental

TC Transcontinental is a leader in flexible packaging in North America, and Canada’s largest printer. The Corporation is also a Canadian leader in its specialty media segments. For over 40 years, TC Transcontinental's mission has been to create products and services that allow businesses to attract, reach and retain their target customers.

Respect, teamwork, performance and innovation are strong values held by the Corporation and its employees. TC Transcontinental's commitment to its stakeholders is to pursue its business activities in a responsible manner.

Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A TCL.B), known as TC Transcontinental, has over 9,000 employees, the majority of which are based in Canada, the United States and Latin America. TC Transcontinental had revenues of approximately C$2.0 billion for the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017. The Corporation has completed, on May 1, 2018, the transformational acquisition of Coveris Americas which generated approximately C$1.26 billion in revenues (US$966 million) for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. For more information, visit TC Transcontinental's website at .

For information:

Media

Nathalie St-Jean                                                                                 

Senior Advisor, Corporate Communications

TC Transcontinental

Telephone: 514-954-3581                                                                               

Financial Community

Mathieu Hébert

Director, Financial Analysis and Treasury

TC Transcontinental

Telephone: 514-954-4029

¹ Source : RECYC-QUÉBEC – Éco Entreprises Québec