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4.0
Waste Management, Inc. operates in the environmental services sector, within the integrated solid waste management and environmental services subsector, with shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s founding is associated with Wayne Huizenga and Dean Buntrock, entrepreneurs focused on consolidating regional waste collection and disposal operations across the United States.
The corporate formation took place in the private sector, without direct ties to government initiatives, driven by the need for professionalization, operational scale, and standardization of urban and industrial waste collection, treatment, and final disposal services.
The portfolio of products and services includes residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, landfill disposal, specialized environmental services, and the recovery of recyclable and organic materials.
The market presence is predominantly national, with operations distributed throughout the United States and a complementary footprint in Canada. Activities serve municipalities, private companies, industrial clients, and institutional customers across multiple U.S. states.
Key market factors include urban population growth, increasing waste generation, environmental regulatory requirements, advances in recycling and the circular economy, regional and national competition, and investments in emissions reduction technologies and energy recovery.
Operational scale encompasses millions of customers served, hundreds of operating facilities, one of the largest fleets of specialized vehicles in the sector, and dozens of active landfills, transfer stations, and recycling plants.
The operating structure is organized around integrated business lines, combining collection, transportation, recycling, and final disposal. The company operates regional hubs, proprietary facilities, and optimized logistics systems focused on operational efficiency and environmental control.
The primary trading ticker is WM, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, representing the company’s common shares in the U.S. equity market.
History and foundation
The company was founded in 1968 in Chicago, United States, with the establishment of Waste Management, Inc. as a platform aimed at consolidating small regional waste collection companies.In the early years of operation, key challenges involved integrating acquisitions, standardizing operating processes, and adapting to evolving environmental regulations. Early achievements included rapid growth through strategic acquisitions.
Expansion and growth occurred over subsequent decades, with broader geographic coverage, diversification of environmental services, and investments in proprietary landfill, recycling, and waste treatment infrastructure.
Historical milestones include the completion of the initial public offering (IPO) in 1971, consolidation as one of the largest environmental services companies in the United States in the following decades, and an increased focus on sustainability solutions and resource recovery.
Between 2020 and 2024, relevant developments included investments in automation and operational technology, expansion of recycling and waste-to-energy projects, selective acquisitions, strengthening of ESG practices, and the impact of macroeconomic conditions on costs, revenues, and share performance.
Additional Information
The Company Waste Management Inc. (United States), is listed on NYSE with a market value of $ 88.02 Billions, having an equity of $ 9.52 Billions.
With a total of 44.900 employees, the company is listed in the sector of Services and categorized in industry of Commercial Services.
In the last 12 months the Company had a revenue of $ 24.78 Billions, which generated a profit in the amount of $ 2.56 Billions.
As for its main indicators, the Company has a P/E ratio of 34.33, a P/BV ratio of 9.25 and in the last 12 months the dividend yield of WM was at 1.51%.
The Company is traded internationally through the ticker WM.
