Waste Recycling Services Market Report 2026

The waste recycling services market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $64.8 billion in 2025 to $68.84 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising environmental awareness, increasing landfill waste concerns, government waste management policies, industrial waste generation growth, early recycling infrastructure development.

The waste recycling services market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $86.81 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expansion of sustainability initiatives, increasing regulatory enforcement on waste management, growing corporate environmental responsibility, rising adoption of eco friendly recycling solutions, increasing investment in waste processing facilities. Major trends in the forecast period include growing emphasis on circular economy waste management, increasing focus on material recovery efficiency, rising adoption of advanced recycling technologies, growing expansion of municipal and industrial recycling programs, increasing awareness toward environmental waste responsibility.

The growing global volume of municipal solid waste is expected to propel the growth of the waste recycling services market going forward. Waste generation refers to the total production of discarded materials from households, industries, commercial operations, and institutions, and it represents a major environmental challenge driven by rapid urbanization, rising consumption levels, and expanding economic activities. As waste volumes continue to increase, the demand for recycling services is rising due to the need to reduce landfill dependency, minimize pollution, and enhance resource recovery. For instance, in February 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a Kenya-based intergovernmental environmental organization, reported in its Global Waste Management Outlook that global municipal solid waste generation reached approximately 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 and is projected to rise to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario. Therefore, the rising global waste generation is driving the growth of the waste recycling services market.

Major companies operating in the waste recycling services market are focusing on developing advanced recycling technologies, such as high-temperature plasma furnace systems, to improve material recovery, reduce environmental impact, and increase processing efficiency. Plasma furnace technology is an ultra-high-temperature recycling process that uses plasma arcs to break down complex waste streams and extract high-value metals with greater purity and yield compared to conventional methods. For instance, in March 2024, Evergreen Recyclekaro (India) Limited, an India-based e-waste and battery recycling company, launched India’s first plasma furnace technology unit to significantly expand its e-waste processing capacity to 75,000 metric tonnes annually. This technology enables efficient extraction of precious, base, and rare-earth metals from electronic waste, industrial residues, and spent batteries, supporting large-scale resource recovery and more sustainable waste-management operations.

In July 2023, Casella Waste Systems Inc., a US-based waste management company, acquired GFL Environmental Inc. for $525 million. This acquisition is part of Casella's plan to expand into adjacent markets with solid waste operations similar to its own. The move supports Casella's growth strategy in the Mid-Atlantic region, emphasizing successful integration and delivering outstanding service to new customers and communities. GFL Environmental Inc., a Canada-based company, provides a broad range of waste recycling services and environmental management solutions for businesses and communities.

Major companies operating in the waste recycling services market report are Waste Management Inc., Republic Services Inc., Veolia Environnement S A, Suez Environnement S A, Remondis SE & Co KG, Biffa plc, Renewi plc, FCC Environment UK Limited, GFL Environmental Inc., Waste Connections Inc., Casella Waste Systems Inc., Advanced Disposal Services Inc., China Recycling Development Co Ltd, Dowa Eco-System Co Ltd, Tsuneishi Kamtecs Corp, Stericycle Inc., US Ecology Inc., Heritage-Crystal Clean Inc., BioHiTech Global Inc., Rubicon Global, Eurokey Recycling Ltd., Kayama Corp.

North America was the largest region in the waste recycling services market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the waste recycling services market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the waste recycling services market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The waste recycling services market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as plastic recycling, metal recycling, wood recycling, glass recycling, and WEEE recycling. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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