Managing Our Climate Impact

At WM we seek to enable a future where energy is renewable. To support that future, we have committed to reducing our direct greenhouse gas emissions and developing solutions for our customers on their transition to a low-carbon economy. In 2023, we reduced our GHG emissions 12% from a 2021 baseline through meaningful actions towards our science-based target, including:

• Opening one new renewable natural gas facility
• Investing capital in landfill gas collection and capture systems
• Continuing to explore emissions measurement technologies
• Growing our alternative fuel fleet and allocating more renewable natural gas to our collection fleet in the United States

Operating Modern Landfills

WM operates 263 active landfills that are highly engineered and managed for the disposal of waste. These sites utilize modern technology such as groundwater monitoring, landfill gas collection & control systems and cover materials. WM plans to continue to modernize our landfills through strategic investments in managing landfills and measuring emissions.

We employ three key approaches to minimize and manage emissions from our landfills:

• Cover Systems - used on the surface of the active landfill working face at day’s end to control and minimize emissions, odors, fires, pests, dust, litter and infiltration of precipitation, reducing leachate
• Final Capping Systems - a cover system placed over the landfill once it stops accepting waste to minimize stormwater inflitration and enhance landfill gas capture
• Landfill Gas Capture - gas collection and control systems are installed where waste filling has been completed to capture landfill gas which can be turned into renewable energy

Our Alternative Fuel Fleet

For decades we began transitioning our collection fleet from diesel vehicles to lower-emissions natural gas vehicles. In 2023, WM achieved 66% conversion of our collection fleet to alternative fuel vehicles. According to the U.S. EPA, natural gas vehicles can reduce tailpipe GHG emissions by 20%, and emit up to 90% less nitrogen oxide (NOX) than traditional diesel vehicles, resulting in less air pollution.

With over 12,000 natural gas trucks, WM has the largest alternative-fuel fleet in the industry which we continue to grow to help reduce our own emissions. For example, we have onboarded 20 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks to our non-collection fleet, with more to be added. In addition to lower-emission natural gas vehicles, WM is actively exploring emerging alternative fuel technologies, including electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, as we work to further reduce emissions and pursue our sustainability goals.