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- Communities are Thriving
Communities are Thriving
We are empowering people to strengthen resilience in our workforce and our communities today, to help drive positive impacts For Tomorrow®.
People First
We've achieved a 6% reduction in overall injuries year over year.
We also work to promote a culture of belonging and have
reached a 78% engagement score in our Voice of the Employee (VOE) survey.
Our social impact goal is to positively impact 10 million people in our communities through targeted social impact programs by 2030, using the equivalent of 2% of our net income.
In 2024, we contributed $27.6 million, the equivalent of 1% of our net income, toward targeted social impact and workforce development programs.
Our Impact:
Looking Ahead:
Looking Ahead:
Driving Change Through Action
Promote a Culture of Belonging
At WM, we take a people-first approach to all stages of the employee journey:
- Recruiting and retaining top talent: We prioritize strong employee beginnings by focusing on retention during the first year. Starting in January 2025, eligible employees now receive benefits the first day on the job, eliminating the waiting period. Additionally, we have targeted programs and resources for all managers and new employees designed to develop leadership skills and guide employee success from the start.
- Listening to our employees: Our annual Voice of the Employee survey provides valuable insights. In 2024, we saw a 78% engagement score, a 700 basis point improvement in engagement since 2023.
- Promoting a culture of appreciation: Created in response to employee feedback, our “Green & Grateful” recognition program has positively impacted our culture, with over 32,000 employees receiving at least one acknowledgment in 2024.
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Disaster Support - Supporting Our Communities
Supporting Our Communities
Driven by a deep spirit of responsibility, our teams lend our operational excellence and people-first mentality to help restore communities in times of need.
In 2024, we:
- Provided disaster relief through $1 million in contributions to organizations including American Red Cross, Florida Disaster Fund, Samaritan’s Purse, and local United Way chapters who are equipped to respond to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton disaster relief and recovery efforts
- Supported nonprofits across North America who address food insecurity, donating and packing thousands of meals for people battling hunger
- Provided specialized training on natural gas fire response for the Los Angeles Fire Department, teaching firefighters skills that were subsequently used to help respond to the 2025 wildfires
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Safety - Get Home Safe Every Day
Get Home Safe Every Day
WM strives to exceed safety standards to ensure the well-being of our employees and our communities. In 2024, we reinforced our safety vision, Get Home Safe Every Day, through proactive measures and technologies. This includes the introduction of a modernized Hazardous Energy Control Program with centralized training and data tracking to help minimize injuries related to the release of energy during maintenance.
We also completed a Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) observation pilot program, empowering employees to identify and address potential hazards before they lead to injuries. In 2025, we plan to expand the SIF observation pilot program by deploying an enterprise-wide tracking system.
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People First - Promote a Culture of Belonging
Supporting Our Communities
Empowering Communities Through Learning
We help enable access to education by supporting scholarships and developing programs for grade school to trade school — and beyond.
In 2024, we supported programs across the U.S., including:
- Washington State: Every summer, WM trains and empowers college interns – the WM Recycle Corps – to educate and engage community members around waste reduction and recycling
- Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill, Washington State: leveraged its space as an outdoor learning lab, hosting over 500 students for a hands-on lesson on landfill operations and the site’s environmental protection systems
- Oakland, California: WM supported Oakland Recycles’ 100 Change Makers, a month-long environmental leadership program for local nonprofits who earn funds to drive sustainability initiatives
- Texas: WM contributed $18,000 to Navarro Independent School District to help purchase a computerized welding machine for the Future Farmers of America Ag Mechanics Program to help prepare students entering a trade school or the workforce
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Protecting Green Space - Restoring River Ecosystems
Restoring River Ecosystems
Whether it’s across our 13,500 acres protected through certified wildlife habitat programs1, or on land beyond our own, WM teams combine ecological restoration with community involvement. For example, teams help create healthier rivers that can support wildlife and benefit surrounding communities.
In 2024, employees contributed in the following ways:
- WM Chicago teams worked with Urban Rivers and Friends of the Chicago River to help restore and revitalize the Chicago River
- Teams in Northern California participated in events such as the Salinas River Wildlife Refuge Cleanup and Twin Creeks Earth Day Cleanup
- In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, our efforts to restore river ecosystems involved dredging and removing waste to help improve water quality in the Lower Duwamish Waterway
- Stericycle focused on wetland and waterway ecosystem preservation through their work with the National Park Foundation
1 Acres are actively managed through Wildlife Habitat Council certified programs. |
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Filling Gaps in Communities - Feeding Communities
Feeding Communities
WM works to help address unmet needs in our communities by providing access to essential resources, such as food and clothing.
Last year, WM collectively donated and packed thousands of meals for people battling hunger as teams supported nonprofits across North America through programs, including:
- Team members in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin participated in a Less Waste, Fuller Plates campaign, complete with an initial $25,000 donation and a friendly competition to unlock additional dollars for their community
- A Canstruction holiday campaign in Canada where employees competed to build creative displays of donated canned goods with the winning team making an extra donation to their food bank of choice
- A matching-gift-inspired Martin Luther King Jr. 12 Days of Service campaign in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio
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Providing Access to Education - Empowering Communities Through Learning