The United States is one of the world’s largest producers of waste, generating over 268 million tons of MSW annually. To manage this enormous amount, the country depends on some organizations that provide sustainable solutions for waste diversion, recycling, and composting. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the top waste management companies in the USA that offer safe and effective disposal services.
Top Waste Management Companies in USA
The waste management industry in the US is dominated by a few large companies that provide a range of services, such as collection, recycling, landfill, incineration, hazardous waste treatment, and energy recovery. They also invest in innovation and sustainability initiatives to reduce their environmental impact and enhance their social responsibility.
1. Waste Management
Founded in 1968 and based in Houston, Texas, Waste Management is the US’s biggest company in this sector. It boasts of being the largest recycler in North America, handling nearly 14 million tons of reusable or recyclable materials every year, such as plastic, glass, and cardboard. It operates numerous trash disposal and recycling locations throughout the nation, serving 21 million customers
Here are some of their services
- Residential and commercial waste disposal and recycling
- Construction waste disposal
- E-waste disposal
- Bulk trash pickup
- Dumpster rental
2. Republic Services
The US’s second-largest waste management company, Republic Services, is located in Phoenix, Arizona, where it was established in 1996. Its main activities are collecting and recycling non-hazardous waste materials to generate energy. It serves 13 million customers and over 2,700 communities across 80% of the US. It handles 8 million tons of recyclables, operates 74 recycling centers, and performs 5 million pickups daily.
Here are some of their services:
- Home and community waste and recycling solutions
- Large-scale trash and junk removal services
- Medical and hazardous waste management
- Construction and yard waste disposal
- Dumpster rental for residential use
- Organic and food waste recycling for businesses
3. Waste Connections
With headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, and established in 1996, Waste Connections is listed under the waste management companies in the USA. It runs 71 recycling facilities and deploys 50 recycling robots across its footprint. It also boasts of processing 2 million tons of fiber, metals, and plastics in 2021.
Here are their services
- Household trash, yard, and recycling services
- Portable toilets and large-scale junk removal
- Dumpster rental for home and business use
- Commercial waste, recycling, and food waste solutions
- Industrial waste management and disposal
- Compactors and shredding services
4. Clean Harbors
Established in 1980 in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors is a company that has operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. It caters to different customers for services, such as managing hazardous waste from start to finish, responding to spills, cleaning and maintaining industrial facilities, and recycling materials.
Here are their services
- Waste and recycling solutions
- Chemical handling and packaging
- Household and healthcare waste management
- Chemical products and sales
- InSite Services®
- Emergency and field services
- Industrial and specialty services
- Daylighting and hydro excavation
- Production and lodging services
- Seismic and surface rentals
- Used oil collection and reprocessing services
Also See: 30 Amazing Waste Management Facts and Statistics
5. Stericycle
A global leader in regulated and compliance solutions, Stericycle was founded in 1989 in Lake Forest, IL. It serves over one million customers in 21 countries, including healthcare, retail, and commercial businesses. It helped protect the environment by diverting 101 million pounds of plastics from landfills, shredding and recycling 1 billion pounds of paper, and treating 1.5 billion pounds of medical waste.
Here are the services they offer
- Disposing of sharps, pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and hazardous waste safely
- Collecting unused or expired drugs
- Mailing back sharps waste in prepaid containers
- Destroying confidential documents with Shred-it
6. Covanta
A world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, Covanta operates waste-to-energy facilities that convert municipal solid waste into renewable electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was founded in 1986 in Morristown, New Jersey, USA.
It also helps the environment by diverting 21 million tons of waste from landfills and reusing or recycling 1.1 million tons of material. The company also recoveres 550,000 tons of metal from waste and recycles 100 million gallons of wastewater every year.
Here are their services
- Evaluation, cleaning and disposal of all waste types and vessels
- Separation of water and contaminants for recycling, destruction or energy recovery
- Tracking, transportation, destruction, certification and documentation of medical waste
- Licensed and certified destruction of pharmaceutical waste at any scale
- Safe recycling of materials that cannot go in the trash
- Sustainable disposal of unsaleable packaged products
7. Advanced Disposal Services
Offering integrated waste management services for various customers, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal, Advanced Disposal Services is a company that was established in 2000 in Ponte Vedra, Florida, USA. It is a subsidiary of Waste Management and provides services like collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling.
Here are their services
- Commercial and industrial waste compaction and transportation
- Removal and disposal of waste from commercial, industrial, and construction projects
- Recycling of concrete, steel, dirt, and masonry materials.
8. Casella Waste Systems
Founded in 1975 in Rutland, Vermont, USA, Casella Waste Systems is a regional waste management company. It provides resource management and recycling services for various customers in the northeastern US, such as residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial. It operates in six states and serves over 900,000 customers.
It converts organic waste streams like food scraps, wood ash, paper mill by-products, and biosolids into earth-life soil amendments and renewable energy.
Here are the services they offer
- Zero landfill and 100% recycling of all waste materials
- Assessment of waste generation and disposal costs
- Provision of dumpsters for temporary or permanent use
- Collection of waste from the curb or driveway.
9. Recology
Eliminating waste through sustainable resource recovery practices is the vision of Recology, a company that was founded in 1935 and is based in San Francisco, California, USA. The company offers organics, recycling, and solid waste collection and processing services to more than 130 communities across California, Oregon, and Washington.
Here are their services
- Recycling services for homes and businesses
- Recovery of valuable materials from waste
- Recycling of construction and demolition waste
- Sales of compost products
- Waste management services
- Green solutions for environmental planning
10. Rumpke Waste & Recycling
A family-owned and operated waste management company, Rumpke Waste & Recycling provides residential and commercial trash and recycling collection, landfill, and portable restroom services in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia. The company is headquartered in Colerain Township, Ohio, USA, and was established in 1932.
Here are some of their services
- Trash and recycling with rolling cans and curbside pickup
- Large project dumpster rental
- Yard waste and battery disposal
- Portable restrooms and junk removal
- School, university, and restaurant waste and recycling solutions
- Office and industrial waste and recycling
- Construction site waste management.
Also, take a look at 4 Types of Waste and 5 Disposal Methods
11. Waste Pro USA
Based in Longwood, Florida, Waste Pro has around 300 exclusive contracts and franchises with municipalities. It offers services such as collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling to residential and commercial customers in the southeast US. It operates in nine states and has more than 75 locations, serving over two million households and 100,000 businesses.
Here are some of their services
- Disposal, collection, and recycling of toxic substances from homes
- Waste, recycle, and bulk waste from residential yards
- Commercial recycling and waste collection
- Rental of dumpsters.
12. Heritage Environmental Services
Providing environmental services to clients in different sectors, Heritage Environmental Services excels in waste management, industrial cleaning, emergency response, and sustainability solutions. The company, which was founded in 1970, has its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Here are some of their services
- Manage hazardous waste safely and efficiently
- Process inorganic waste across various facilities
- Clean wastewater and protect waterways
- Combine fuel for large-scale solutions
- Dispose any waste in landfills
- Mail small-quantity wastes easily
- Collect hazardous waste from households.
13. Clean Earth
Founded in 1990 and based in King of Prussia, PA, Clean Earth is a leading specialty waste company. It has 27 facilities in the US and recycles over 4 million tons of materials, including 10 million pounds of aerosol cans and 326 million pounds of hazardous waste. 93 percent of the material processed companywide was recycled.
Their services include
- Stabilization
- Solidification
- Fuel Blending
- PCB Management
- Cylinder Management
- Professional Services
- Chemical Product Sales
- Recycling & Beneficial Reuse
- Waste to Energy
- Landfill & Incineration.
Also Read: 30 Innovative Eco-Friendly Zero Waste Business Ideas
14. Heritage-Crystal Clean
Based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States, and established in 1999, Heritage-Crystal Clean serves customers in the automotive, industrial, and transportation sectors across the continental United States, Ontario and Canada. The company aims to deliver excellent service and value to its customers while safeguarding the environment.
Here are the services they offer
- Used Oil and Waste Drum Disposal
- Parts Cleaners
- Wastewater Vacuum Truck Services
- Antifreeze
- Environmental Solutions Partners
- Field Services
- Technical Services
- Aqua Filtration Systems
- Absorbents
- Decontamination Services & Disinfectants.
15. Wheelabrator Technologies
Processing more than 11 million tons of waste into clean energy every year, powering 340,000 homes, is a waste-to-energy company called Wheelabrator Technologies. It also recycles more than 234,000 tons of plastic, paper, and metals from the waste stream. The company, which has its headquarters in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, was founded in 1975.
Here are their services
- Municipal Solid Waste Disposal
- Clean Energy
- Commercial and Industrial Waste Disposal
- Metals Recovery and Recycling
- Hauling
Also, check out How to Segregate Waste at Home Properly
16. Lakeshore Recycling Systems
Established in 2012 by merging two Chicago-based companies, Lakeshore Recycling Systems is a diversified waste management company that provides services to residential, commercial, and municipal customers in the Chicago area. It has 11 recycling facilities and diverts 40% of trash away from landfills. It supports 160 towns and 1.2 million households.
Here are the services
- Residential Waste & Recycling Collection
- Construction Recycling & Waste Collection
- Trash Compactors
- Portable Restrooms
- Dumpster Rentals
- Business Recycling Collection
- Business Waste Collection
17. Triumvirate Environmental
Providing environmental and waste management services to the Life Sciences, Education, Healthcare, and Industrial markets, Triumvirate Environmental is a leading provider in its field. The company, which has its headquarters in Somerville, MA 02143, USA, was founded in 1988 and aims to be the safest, most compliant, and most profitable environmental services firm in North America.
Their services include
- Waste disposal, recycling and sustainability
- HPLC solvent waste collection
- On-site environmental services
- Disposal of hazardous cylinders and compressed gas
- Wastewater Services.
18. California Waste Solutions
It collects, processes, markets, and recycles various materials in California. Cal Waste Solutions serves more than 3 million customers on a weekly basis. It offers junk pick-up, buy-back, and community partnerships to reduce waste and promote the recovery of resources. Its headquarters are in Oakland, California, USA and it was established in 2002.
Here are the services they offer
- Residential and commercial recycling collection
- Free Waste Assessment
- Schedule Junk Pickup
19. Junk King
Founded in 2005, Junk King is a franchised junk removal company that offers eco-friendly and professional services to residential and commercial customers. The company’s mission is to enhance lives, communities, and the environment by donating, recycling, and supporting local charities. It has over 100 locally owned franchises in 32 states and Canada. Its headquarters are in South San Francisco, California, USA.
Here are their services
- Furniture Removal, Disposal, Recycling or Donation
- Television Disposal & Recycling
- Yard Waste Removal
- Clean Out Services
- Appliance Removal
- Hot Tub Removal
- E-Waste Disposal, Removal, or Recycling
- Mattress Disposal, Removal, Donation, or Recycling
- Trash Removal
- Dumpster Rental
20. Texas Disposal Systems
Established in 1977, Texas Disposal Systems is a family-owned company that serves 92 counties and up to 375 communities. Its headquarters are in Creedmoor, Texas, USA. Its sister company Texas Landfill Management (TLM) is the first fully integrated facility of its kind in Texas and recycles 20-25 tons of material per hour, including glass, cardboard, paper, aluminum, and plastic.
Here are their services
- Trash collection for multi-family living units
- Residential curbside solutions
- Residential Dumpster rental
- Rural Pick-up
- Roll off dumpsters
- Portable restrooms
- Disaster relief
To conclude, we have reviewed some of the top waste management companies in the USA. It is important to remember that even small actions can make a big difference. Alongside the efforts of these companies, we should also follow the rules and regulations for sorting and storing waste properly.
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