Waste Management Services
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 20,200 waste management companies in the US provide hazardous and nonhazardous waste collection, hauling, and treatment; operation of transfer stations and landfills; septic system pumping; and remediation including specialized cleanup of contaminated buildings, mine sites, soil, or ground water. About 66% of industry sales receipts come from services to businesses, organizations, and farms; 19% to residences; and 15% to government.
Worker Injury
Workers are exposed to a wide variety of risks including contact with contaminated and hazardous materials in trash and remediation sites, working with heavy machinery, and handling curbside trash bins near traffic.
Vertical Integration
Waste management companies are using vertical integration to control their waste streams, broaden services, cut costs, and improve profitability.
Industry size & Structure
The average waste management company operates out of a single location, employs 25 workers, and generates about $6-7 million annually.
- The waste management industry consists of about 20,200 firms that employ about 500,200 workers and generate about $137 billion annually.
- Average revenue per employee is about $246,000.
- The industry is concentrated at the top with the four largest firms controlling 29% of revenue. Otherwise, the industry is fragmented with many companies offering one or a few types of waste services.
- Major US companies include Waste Management, Republic Services, Clean Harbors, and Casella Waste Systems.
Industry Forecast
Waste Management Services Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Nov 22, 2024 - Major Waste Firms Post Steady Recycling Revenue
- Some of the largest waste-hauling firms saw their recycling-related third-quarter revenues rise amid higher commodity prices for several types of recyclable materials. Republic Service’s recycling revenue grew 41.6% in Q3 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, and Waste Connections’ recycling segment saw a rise of 93%. Waste Management’s recycling operations’ revenues increased by more than 41%.
- In November, Waste Management (WM) became the US leader in medical waste upon completing its acquisition of Stericycle for $7.2 billion, according to Waste Dive. WM will roll Stericycle into the firm’s WM Healthcare Solutions division. WM made the move amid its optimism about the medical waste industry's short- and long-term growth prospects, partly due to the expectation that an aging population will lead to an increase in medical waste. Industry observers note that medical waste was a relatively small part of WM’s business before the Stericycle acquisition.
- Packaging Corporation of America and International Paper – major consumers of recovered fiber – reported robust upticks in box demand in their third-quarter reporting. Packaging Corporation of America said its containerboard production in Q3 2024 hit an all-time high as its corrugated packaging shipments were up 11.1% over Q3 2023. International Paper also enjoyed more robust box demand, and its containerboard shipments in the third quarter increased 14% over the same period a year earlier. International Paper noted that while its input costs were higher in Q3 2023 year over year – partly due to higher costs for old corrugated containers (OCC) – recovered fiber prices have recently begun to soften.
- Goodwill is partnering with waste hauling firm Waste Management and textile recycling firm Reju to pilot the collection, sortation, reuse, and recycling of textiles, according to Resource Recycling. The proof-of-concept pilot includes Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and nine other Goodwills that geographically include about a third of the US population. The Goodwill locations will serve as the program's collection hubs. Goodwill will sort through textile donations and set aside items that are too threadbare for resale. Goodwill will then turn the collected textiles over to Waste Management and Reju, and the two firms will ensure the items are properly introduced to the recycling stream.
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