Material is Repurposed

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Material is Repurposed

We operate innovative recycling and waste solutions that fuel the continuous reuse of materials.

We're Reimagining A Circular Economy

At WM, we're reimagining a circular economy by investing in and operating innovative recycling and waste solutions that help fuel the continuous reuse of materials. By keeping more material in the circular economy, we can recover untapped value from materials otherwise destined for disposal and meet consumer demand for recycled products.

Our Impact:

In 2022, we:

Launched a new recycling facility to recover construction & demolition materials serving Miami Dade County, FL, with the capacity to process 250K tons per year

Enhanced our recycling facilities and collection fleet with automation technology, including investments in four existing recycling facilities that increased capacity by 100K tons per year

Unlocked value from hard-to-recycle materials, with a special focus on plastics, through our investment in Natura PCR as well as customer relationships

Made significant investments in the development of our organics services

Helped customers across a range of industries develop plans and strategies to measure and reduce their environmental impact

Looking Ahead:

In the years ahead, we plan to:

By 2026, we aim to add more than 2.5 million tons a year of material recovery capacity to our existing recycling network, from a 2021 baseline

Continue upgrading recycling facility technology to support increased separation and material recovery

Continue developing opportunities to recover hard-to-recycle materials, like textiles, batteries, biosolids and more

Continue to expand access to recycling and organics services for more communities

Monitor emerging regulations around landfill diversion, extended producer responsibility and other waste and recycling trends

Sharing Inspiration WM Sustainability Stories

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Material being processed for re-use at recycling facility

Growing Our Recycling Business

We are continuously looking for ways to drive our ambition of reimagining a circular economy forward. Key to our innovation and growth are ongoing upgrades to our infrastructure with new technology, machinery and processes.

We are focusing investments on:

New and upgraded state-of-the-art recycling facilities with optical scanners, intelligent sorting equipment, volumetric scanners, cameras, fire suppression technology and more.
Expanding access to recycling services to more communities in order to capture more material, as many customers still lack access to recycling.
Preparing for upcoming regulations by seeking ways to capture and recycle more material, WM is preparing to meet consumer demand for recycled content in the years to come.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Stretch wrapped canisters on pallets in warehouse

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Did you know that only an estimated 1% of American households have access to curbside film collection?

WM has a focus to increase film recycling and reach 8% of U.S. households through expanded collection, and investments in new recycling technologies such as Natura PCR, a producer of post-consumer resin (PCR) pellets in North America.

Natura PCR's new technology recycles plastic film into fungible plastic pellets that help meet demands for higher recycled content in packaging.

* The Recycling Partnership report: Addressing the Challenge of Film and Flexible Packaging Data.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Close up of grapes on a vine at a vineyard

Enhancing soil with WM compost

We provide made-to-order compost blends for Beckstoffer Vineyards in Rutherford, CA, tailored to their specific needs.

Using an aerated static compost pile, we transformed local yard waste and residential food scraps into a soil amendment rich in nutrients and beneficial organisms.

In 2022, we provided 1,650 tons of compost to the vineyard which helped enhance the richness of their soil while creating a circular organics solution in the community.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Growing Our Recycling Business

We are focusing investments on:

New and upgraded state-of-the-art recycling facilities with optical scanners, intelligent sorting equipment, volumetric scanners, cameras, fire suppression technology and more.
Expanding access to recycling services to more communities in order to capture more material, as many customers still lack access to recycling.
Preparing for upcoming regulations by seeking ways to capture and recycle more material, WM is preparing to meet consumer demand for recycled content in the years to come.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Did you know that only an estimated 1% of American households have access to curbside film collection?

Natura PCR's new technology recycles plastic film into fungible plastic pellets that help meet demands for higher recycled content in packaging.

* The Recycling Partnership report: Addressing the Challenge of Film and Flexible Packaging Data.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Enhancing soil with WM compost

We provide made-to-order compost blends for Beckstoffer Vineyards in Rutherford, CA, tailored to their specific needs.

Using an aerated static compost pile, we transformed local yard waste and residential food scraps into a soil amendment rich in nutrients and beneficial organisms.

In 2022, we provided 1,650 tons of compost to the vineyard which helped enhance the richness of their soil while creating a circular organics solution in the community.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Growing Our Recycling Business

We are focusing investments on:

New and upgraded state-of-the-art recycling facilities with optical scanners, intelligent sorting equipment, volumetric scanners, cameras, fire suppression technology and more.
Expanding access to recycling services to more communities in order to capture more material, as many customers still lack access to recycling.
Preparing for upcoming regulations by seeking ways to capture and recycle more material, WM is preparing to meet consumer demand for recycled content in the years to come.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Did you know that only an estimated 1% of American households have access to curbside film collection?

Natura PCR's new technology recycles plastic film into fungible plastic pellets that help meet demands for higher recycled content in packaging.

* The Recycling Partnership report: Addressing the Challenge of Film and Flexible Packaging Data.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

Enhancing soil with WM compost

We provide made-to-order compost blends for Beckstoffer Vineyards in Rutherford, CA, tailored to their specific needs.

Using an aerated static compost pile, we transformed local yard waste and residential food scraps into a soil amendment rich in nutrients and beneficial organisms.

In 2022, we provided 1,650 tons of compost to the vineyard which helped enhance the richness of their soil while creating a circular organics solution in the community.

Working to Divert 120,000+ Tons of Plastic Film from Landfills

2023

Sustainability Report

Read more sustainability stories and learn more about our goals, progress and initiatives in this year's report

Download 2023 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT