Waste Management Services

Waste Management Services

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry collect, treat, and dispose of garbage and other waste materials, recover reusable materials through recycling operations, and provide remediation services for decontaminating buildings, mine sites, soil, or groundwater. Major companies include Waste Management, Republic Services, Waste Connections, and Casella Waste Systems (all in the US), and SUEZ Environnment and Veolia Environnement (France).

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. The waste management services industry is largest in developed nations that consume more resources and generate more waste.

The US waste management industry includes about 18,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $85 billion. Moderate growth is expected for the US industry over the next two years. Demand drivers include population growth and consumer spending.

Companies that provide wastewater treatment services are covered in the Water & Sewer Utilities profile.

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 efficient operations, because the service is a commodity sold based on price. Big companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing equipment and establishing networks of facilities. Small companies can compete successfully by offering specialized services or serving local markets. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 55 percent of revenue....