Quebec's Steelworkers union is calling on the provincial government to impose a deposit on wine bottles and other glass sold in the province.

The union, which represents SAQ workers, demonstrated in front of SAQ stores throughout Quebec on Saturday to win support for their message.

President Alain Croteau said people who work at Owens Illinois, a glass recycling plant in Montreal, have told him the rate of recycling in Quebec is very low.

"I heard last November with my members from Owens Illinois that our glass that we put in the box, the blue boxes that we have at home, 30% of this glass gets recycled," said Croteau.

That's in sharp contrast to the near-universal rate of recycling beer bottles, which are sold with a 10-cent deposit.

"The brown bottles we use for beer, they can use it between ten and 15 times, and then they recycle those bottles at 98%," said Croteau.

He added that Owens Illinois actually has to import glass for its Montreal recycling plant, because so much of what is collected in blue bins is discarded as trash.

The union said recycling is a great way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, and will create more employment in Montreal.

It is asking Finance Minister Carlos Leitao to impose a deposit on wine bottles, and to force the SAQ to accept bottle returns.