Article-On Management

Waste Management Industry of United States
and it`s growth in next 5 years

Waste is produced throughout the globe in tonnes on daily basis and if this waste keeps piling up,
it can pose major sanitation issues for everyone. So, there is a dire need for the proper
management and the potential utilization of the the generated waste.
Did you know?
In 2018, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) reported that 292.4
million tonnes or 4.9 pounds per person per day of waste were generated. These are astronomical
numbers and the efforts that are being done in order to manage this waste have progressed a lot
since the time waste management was first adopted. However, all the approaches that are being
taken in this case are considered insufficient. For the ultimate goal of a sustainable future, the
world as a whole and every nation individually is aiming for zero waste approach. Thus, even
after so much efforts the professionals are still looking for more efficient ways to reduce the
waste to zero.
The first waste management company was opened by George Waring Jr. in 1880s; who himself
was a sanitation engineer at that time.
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Figure 1: George Waring Jr.
Briefly after the cholera and yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee, that took almost
10,000 lives, George Waring Jr. set the foundation for the waste management company while
caring for the ones who were suffering. This made George the first person in the history to
collect and dispose in a systematic way. Moreover, he was the first person to use Garbage trucks
for the purpose of waste collection. Since that time, the management of waste has come a long
way. Now a days, there are methods like incineration that can be used in order to convert waste
into energy. These days the waste management industry in the United States has grown out to be
massive and it has become very lucrative as well.
A massive waste water treatment facility stands on the shores of Lake Michigan. The processes
being opted at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant have progressed a lot in the recent times.
This facility is contributing to a major portion of waste treatment in the city of Chicago.
Figure 2: Calumet Reclamation Plant
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When we talk about waste management it is not just a specific type of waste, on the contrary it
includes all kinds of waste whether it is domestic, industrial or agricultural waste. This also
accounts for other detailed categories of medical and pharmaceutical waste, nuclear and
hazardous waste. Waste can further be of solid or liquid, in form of water, state. Solid state of
waste has further categories in it such as; plastic waste and food waste. Are you aware that in
2016, nearly 54 million tonnes of food waste was collected in the United States? Even today,
food waste remains a major concern for the waste management companies in the United States.
Waste management industry has grown out to be extremely huge from the starting time of the
19th century. Waste management is an environmentally friendly act that promotes the betterment
of the environment, while being a profitable approach too. The waste management companies
are earning hefty amount of profits by converting the waste into the product of utilization.
Currently, it is reported that 292 million tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste is generated in the
United States out of which only 32.1% of the waste is being recycled while 50% of the waste is
openly dumped into the landfill sites (Landfill sites are open areas that are allocated specifically
for the purpose of storing waste until or unless it degrades, for this specific purpose landfill
facilities are established that don't leach out the hazardous material into the ground further
reaching the groundwater and contaminating it. Landfill sites approach has been one of the most
conventional strategies taken into consideration for the management of the solid waste).
Figure 3: Ways of Waste Management in US
The growth of waste management industry can be evaluated from the fact that only for North
America alone, the waste management market size is almost 208 billion US dollars while for the
United States hazardous waste management and disposal revenue is as big as 8.7 billion US
dollars.
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Not all of the waste can be stored within the country and potential trade can be done when the
other party is interested. From the record and facts, Canada stands to be the top destination for
the most US scrap plastic. This means that most of the plastic scrap generated within the United
States is sent off to Canada according to the settlement between both the nations. Similarly, India
stands out to be the top contender for the export of recovered fiber. A crazy amount of waste,
118.5 million lbs., is to be sent off to Malaysia from the United States.
Veolia, is the number one waste management company in the United States on the basis of
revenue. The company's aim is to focus on water management, waste management and energy
services; all of which are interrelated. Waste Management Inc. and Republic Services are the
other major companies currently working in the United States with an annual revenue of 17.931
billion USD and 11.3 billion USD respectively.
The future of waste management in the coming years is ever so bright. There are countless
factors contributing to this, mainly the recent pandemic of Covid-19 did hit the world by storm
but it also raised awareness among people about the eco-friendly way to live.
From the recent reports it is estimated that the Compound Annual Growth Rate of 5% is
expected in the next 5 years (till 2027), with an extensive potential to further grow in the coming
years. The key factors contributing to this growth is the sense of awareness among the
authorities, the continuous use of resources that keeps on piling the waste generation and the dire
need to resolve the current scenario of the humongous task to tackle the waste piles throughout
the United States. Among the already mentioned leading companies Biffa PLC and Clean
Harbors Inc. are the other close competitors running in for the marathon of waste management in
the United States.

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Waste Management Industry of United States

and it`s growth in next 5 years

Did you know?

Figure 2: Calumet Reclamation Plant

Figure 3: Ways of Waste Management in US

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