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Waste Generated from Operations
Waste Management operates landfills, material recovery facilities (MRFs), offices, hauling stations, and transfer stations across 17 market areas in the U.S. and Canada. We also own or lease office space throughout North America and in India. Over 99 percent of waste handled at Waste Management facilities is generated by customers, rather than the company itself.
Total waste generated in operations, shown in the table below, is calculated using an average waste and recycling generation tonnage per employee, per day for each of our facility types. Each Waste Management facility type has its own waste factor, developed from audits conducted on site. In 2019, our data was adjusted to better reflect recyclables generated in administrative operations.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Waste Generated (Metric Tons) | 2014: 3,741.83 | 2015: 3,783.85 | 2016: 3,868.36 | 2017: 3,963.76 | 2018: 4,032.40 | 2019: 4,138.01 |
| Total Waste Recycled (Metric Tons) | 2014: 1,005.47 | 2015: 1,016.63 | 2016: 1,046.00 | 2017: 1,074.90 | 2018: 1,068.40 | 2019: 1,099.34 |
| Total Waste Disposed (Metric Tons) | 2014: 2,736.36 | 2015: 2,767.22 | 2016: 2,822.36 | 2017: 2,888.86 | 2018: 2,964.00 | 2019: 3,038.67 |
