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By Yohann Harvey Simard – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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The Démex-Centrem Group inaugurated last week its new optical sorting line in its facilities in Alma (Centrem). With an investment of $3.5 million, its implementation will double the processing capacity of the sorting center for construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) materials.
The new, partially automated process will be able to process up to 60,000 tons of material, such as steel, aluminum, wood, or gypsum.
Only 4 to 5 employees will be needed to operate the new sorting line, whereas 12 to 15 were needed previously. A significant advantage in the context of a labor shortage, insists the president of Centrem, Yanick Tremblay.
“There are fewer and fewer people who want to work in difficult environments like that. There’s noise, it’s dusty,” he explains.
However, the new sorting line does not involve any loss of employment since all the employees operating the previous one have been assigned to it or have been given another position.
In fact, its entry into operation means the consolidation of 45 jobs in Alma, as well as the creation of 10 others across the company, indicates Yanick Tremblay, stressing that he “needs everyone! »
A plus for the environment
Equipped with a state-of-the-art optical sorter, the new line will also allow for greater purity of the materials processed.
“The beauty of our system is that we are able to produce quality products. For example, all wood will be free of non-recoverable materials. We are even able to separate it into four categories. »
By doing so, Centrem is even more empowered to accomplish its mission, which is to avoid sending waste to landfill sites as much as possible.
“We are able to better serve the population and contribute even more significantly to sustainable development,” summarizes Yanick Tremblay,
Citizens can return their old household appliances directly to the Centrem Sorting Center, located in the former Rio Tinto Alcan factory in Alma. Remuneration will be offered to them in exchange, unlike when the devices are brought back to an ecocentre.
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