Waste Management has been very active in waste diversion and recycling efforts in the National Capital Region. From the region’s first recycling program, to the proposed new program to reduce organics going to the landfill, Waste Management has long been a committed proponent of diversion programs.

At the same time, the company’s role in waste reduction and diversion is dependent on the requests of existing and potential customers, and the services they request.

As the largest recycler in North America, we manage over 7 million tons annually and we are committed to growing recycling. Waste Management was the first major solid waste company to focus on allowing its customers to put all their recyclables in a single bin, a type of recycling known as “single-stream.” We opened our first single stream facility in the late 1990s. The efficiency of the single-stream process can improve local recycling programs by increasing capacity, resulting in an average recovery of up to 30 per cent more recyclable materials while maintaining material quality equal to if not better than traditional recycling processes.

We also plan to continue investing in recycling commodities we have not recycled before and for which we see the potential of higher returns. For example, we’ve recently purchased Lamptracker, a fluorescent bulb recycling collection and recycling program and partnered with Sony to establish the first electronics-recycling program in the US. We also see the potential for more construction and demolition waste recycling with the increased desire to have LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings.

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