Waste Management shows reduced emissions & goal for more waste-based fuel in company's annual sustainability report
By Cody Boteler, Waste Dive.
Waste Management operated 6,100 trucks that run on natural gas as of the end of Q3, according to the company's 2017 sustainability report update, compared to around 5,100 at the end of 2016. Already, Waste Management has surpassed its 2020 goal of reducing fleet emissions by 15%. Emissions had been reduced 26% in 2016 using a 2007 baseline.
The company has a goal of recycling 20 million tons of material annually by 2020. In 2016, Waste Management recycled 14.7 million tons of material, meaning the company has a significant amount of ground left to cover. The company processed 14 million and 15.1 million tons in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
In addition, the company has set a goal of producing enough electricity from solar panels, landfill gas-to-energy, waste-to-energy, waste-based fuel and steam to power 2 million homes by 2020. According to the report, the company currently generated enough power for 470,000 homes in 2016 and 2017. A drop from 1.08 million in 2014 is due to the divestiture of Wheelabrator's waste-to-energy business.