Waste Management Services Industry Profile

The US waste management industry includes about 18,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $75 billion. Major companies include Waste Management, Republic Services, Waste Connections, and Waste Industries USA. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 55 percent of revenue.

The global waste and recycling industry collects more than 11 billion tons of solid waste and generates about $410 billion in revenue each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Major waste and remediation service providers outside the US include SUEZ Environment and Veolia Environnement, both headquartered in France. The waste management services industry is largest in developed nations that consume more resources and generate more waste.

Industries related to waste management are covered in the Environmental Consulting and Recyclable Materials Wholesalers profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand depends on the volume of waste generated, which depends on economic conditions and consumer spending. The profitability of individual companies depends on labor and efficient operations, because the service is a commodity sold based on price. Big companies have large efficiencies of scale in operations. Small companies can compete successfully by offering specialized services or serving local markets.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services include waste collection, treatment, and disposal; remediation; and recycling. Waste collection accounts for about 55 percent of industry revenue; treatment and disposal, 20 percent; and remediation, 15 percent. (Remediation involves the cleaning of crude oil spills and ground contamination, removal of asbestos ...