A new pilot project launching today in Montreal aims to give street collectors, known locally as “binners” or “valoristes,” a tool designed not only to improve their working conditions, but to shift public perceptions around a workforce that largely goes unrecognized.
The Dignity Bag, created by No Fixed Address in collaboration with Montreal-based non-profit Les Valoristes Coopérative de Solidarité, marks what the partners describe as the first work tool designed specifically for urban recyclers. While binners play a key role in keeping refundable containers out of landfills, their work often flies under the radar and is typically carried out using improvised tools such as plastic bags or shopping carts.
Les Valoristes co-director Marica Vazquez Tagliero tells strategy that the bag was built to address the practical and social challenges that binners face every day.
“Binners face a multitude of challenges, from the physical strain of long routes in harsh weather to the difficulty of managing heavy bags with tools not built for the work they do,” Tagliero says. “This project aims to shift public attitudes by helping Montrealers see binners not as outsiders, but as essential contributors to the city’s recycling ecosystem. When people encounter the Dignity Bag, we want them to immediately recognize that the person carrying it is doing real environmental work that keeps millions of containers out of landfills each year.”
While the project is supported by film and OOH, No Fixed Address opted to anchor the initiative in a functional product rather than a message-led campaign. The launch is being supported entirely by donated media.
“We knew this work deserved something more lasting and more tangible, something that could make the impact feel real on the ground. The Dignity Bag was designed as that practical solution,” Monique Viveiros, group account director at No Fixed Address, tells strategy. “Designing a useful, impactful, functional tool that will be seen every day and every night long after the communication campaign has finished means that the advocacy never stops. And hopefully never stops growing.”
Built from a single piece of lightweight industrial tarp, the bag features safety straps, reflective elements and a 240-can capacity, equivalent volume to the standard plastic bags used in many depots. The final design was shaped closely with working binners, who influenced details ranging from strap placement to material selection, says Jean-Philippe Dugal, creative director at No Fixed Address.
“From the first prototype they were enthusiastic about it as a functional tool but also understood its potential as a platform for change,” Dugal tells strategy. “They collaborated frequently throughout the process with the design team, helping them find the right dimensions and fine-tuning details like overall can capacity, strap placement and material selection … The Dignity Bag’s design would not be what it is without their contributions, no question.”
Founded in 2012, Les Valoristes was modelled on similar initiatives in Vancouver and Brazil as a co-operative operation that supports those earning income by collecting refundable containers through the operation of return sites while advocating for safer, decent working conditions. The bag’s graphic system prominently features the Montreal city name in bold type, a choice inspired by how the binners see themselves as informal teams operating within local recycling ecosystems.
“They really see themselves as an unofficial recycling squad for the city and there’s a powerful team dynamic that already exists amongst them,” Dugal say, adding that the identity system was designed to be adopted by other municipalities.
“Most binners really love their city. And they’re proud to represent it. So we wanted to make that statement as bold as we could.”
To support the launch, video director Thomas Soto embedded himself in the binner community for a week by walking routes and listening and learning from its workers. Stuart Macmillan, executive creative director at No Fixed Address tells strategy the time on the ground help shape both the emotional tone and visual approach of the campaign. The resulting two-plus-minute awareness film focuses on the experiences of Alexandre, one of the city’s binners who consulted on the bag’s design.
“[Soto] spent hours walking with Alex as he worked, so when it came time to build a shooting plan, Thomas already knew what kinds of locations and setups would feel authentic,” Macmillan says. “This also meant Alex instantly felt at ease talking about his life on camera. And you can feel all of that sensitivity in the final film.”
Les Valoristes will measure the pilot’s success through direct feedback from binners, community interactions and the program’s environmental impact, Tagliero says, adding that the ambition extends beyond the boundaries of Montreal itself.
“Success of the product itself will be seeing it scale beyond Montreal and be adopted in other Canadian and international cities facing similar challenges,” she says. “The goal is to build a model that supports binners here at home while creating a foundation for meaningful change across communities everywhere.”
As part of the pilot, 25 Dignity Bags are in the midst of being circulated across Montreal and distribution will continue throughout the month to ensure the products reach as many binners as possible. While additional bags are being planned for production, scaling will require both funding and municipal partnerships, particularly with organizations such as Recyc-Québec, Éco Entreprises Québec and CoSigNAction that could help ensure the bag fits seamlessly into existing recycling ecosystems, Tagliero adds. “With the city and local partners working together, this pilot has the potential to grow into a lasting program and a model other communities can look to for inspiration.”
