WM acquires 2 waste, recycling businesses

Houston-based WM has made two acquisitions in recent weeks. The company acquired Clayton, Indiana-based Ray’s Trash Service and Harrisonburg, Virginia-based Green Earth LLC.

According to a report from Indianapolis-based WRTV, WM acquired key assets of Ray’s Trash Service, which is a large family-owned recycling and waste collection operation.

Ray’s Trash Service was founded in 1965 and provides recycling and waste disposal services for 17 counties in central Indiana, according to information on the company’s website. It operates eight facilities across the region and offers construction site services, including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-compliant ones.

"We look forward to the integration and value that this acquisition will bring to expand and advance WM's environmental services in central Indiana," WM says in a statement it has shared with Recycling Today regarding this acquisition. "We are excited to welcome our new employees into the WM family and for the opportunity to provide exceptional service to our customers in the Indianapolis market. WM remains committed to providing the Indianapolis area with quality recycling and waste disposal services for years to come, with an emphasis on supporting the cultivation of community vitality and sustainable growth in the region."

According to a letter Green Earth sent to its customers, WM completed the acquisition of that business Sept. 1. Green Earth has provided residential and commercial collection services to residents in Rockingham County, Virginia, as well as a material recovery facility and container rental services. The Facebook page of Green Earth indicates it focused in part on collecting construction and demolition (C&D) materials.

Green Earth’s letter to its customers states that WM has been a waste services provider in Virginia’s Rockingham County for more than 20 years. Green Earth says it chose WM as a buyer since it is “confident that they are the company most capable of providing the same safe and superior service” to its customers.

WM did not share how much it paid for these two acquisitions; however, according to the company's second-quarter earnings report, WM intends to spend $300 to $400 million on acquisitions in its 2022 fiscal year.