Environmental Services Sector

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>>> BWXT-led Team Awarded $45 Billion Environmental Management Contract for DOE’s Hanford Site


BusinessWire

March 4, 2024


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bwxt-led-team-awarded-45-214500395.html


LYNCHBURG, Va., March 04, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced a contract with an estimated value of up to $45 billion over a 10-year ordering period from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental management operations at the Hanford Site in Washington.

The DOE announced that the Hanford Integrated Tank Disposition Contract (ITDC) was awarded to Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure, LLC (H2C), which is a joint venture led by a BWXT subsidiary and includes subsidiaries of Amentum and Fluor.

"This is an important award for BWXT and represents a significant objective as we continue to leverage our technical capabilities on high-consequence environmental restoration sites," said Rex Geveden, BWXT’s president and chief executive officer. "We are dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s environmental stewardship at this site, as well as national security and cleanup work for DOE sites across the nation."

"Our team is both honored and appreciative that DOE has selected us to take on the largest and most complex radioactive waste cleanup project in the United States," said Heatherly Dukes, president of BWXT’s Technical Services Group. "We are committed to working with our DOE Environmental Management customer, regulatory authorities and the Tri-Cities community in safely reducing the environmental liabilities at the site in an efficient and effective manner that is protective of the workforce, the public and the environment."

The scope of the ITDC includes operation of Hanford tank farm facilities, eventual operation of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, and responsibility for other core functions such as project management, security and emergency services, business performance, and environment, safety, health and quality.

The DOE is engaged in one of the great public works projects of this century at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Responsible for the federal government’s cleanup of the legacy of more than 40 years of producing plutonium through the 1980s, DOE is transforming the site back into an operations mode to treat tank waste from the production era.

About BWXT

At BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), we are People Strong, Innovation Driven. Headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, BWXT is a Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine and space exploration. With approximately 7,800 employees, BWXT has 14 major operating sites in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. In addition, BWXT joint ventures provide management and operations at a dozen U.S. Department of Energy and NASA facilities.

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>>> Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) - Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30


https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=171642712


Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is a Massachusetts-based company that provides environmental and industrial services in North America. The company operates through two segments, Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions. The Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment offers pickup and transportation services for hazardous and non-hazardous containerized waste for recycling or disposal. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is one of the leading recycling stocks to invest in.

Baird analyst David Manthey on November 3 raised the price target on Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) to $155 from $150 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. The analyst sees a good setup for ongoing solid pricing and deferred waste streams, perhaps cushioning results, while PFAS/reshoring/increased blended oil sales could also augment his view.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 30 hedge funds were long Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) at the end of September 2022, with combined stakes worth $497 million, compared to 28 funds in the prior quarter worth $408 million. Ian Simm’s Impax Asset Management is the largest position holder in the company, with 1.12 million shares valued at $123 million.

Meridian Funds made the following comment about Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:

“Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is a leading hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal management company in North America and one of our longer-term holdings. Particularly impressive are its hazardous waste incinerators, which are nearly impossible to replicate. We also like its oil re-refinery business which is gaining recognition as a sustainable source of motor oil. Through cost controls and price increases, the company was successful in managing the inflationary environment during the period. Utilization of its incinerator network reached 90% during its most recently reported quarter and pricing increased 18% from a year ago. High and increasing base oil prices provided an additional boost to its re-refinery business, widening the spread between the price Clean Harbors charges for its refined oil and the price it pays for used oil. A resurgence in U.S. manufacturing activity and the accretive acquisition of HydroChemPSC also contributed to investors’ enthusiasm for the stock. Although our long-term outlook for Clean Harbors remains upbeat, we trimmed our position in the stock due to the company’s high debt balance as a result of the acquisition. We also believe the economic slowdown may eventually impact Clean Harbors, which operates in a late-cycle industry and therefore tends to have a delayed response to economic developments.”

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>>> Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH) provides environmental and industrial services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions.

The Environmental Services segment collects, transports, treats, and disposes hazardous and non-hazardous waste, such as resource recovery, physical treatment, fuel blending, incineration, landfill disposal, wastewater treatment, lab chemicals disposal, and explosives management services; and offers CleanPack services, including collection, identification, categorization, specialized packaging, transportation, and disposal of laboratory chemicals and household hazardous waste. This segment also provides industrial maintenance and specialty industrial services; and utilizes specialty equipment and resources that performs field services.

The Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment provides pickup and transportation services for hazardous and non-hazardous containerized waste for recycling or disposal; machine cleaning and maintenance, and disposal and replenishment of clean solvent or aqueous fluids; and vacuum services to remove solids, residual oily water, and sludge and other fluids from customers' oil/water separators, sumps, and collection tanks, as well as removes and collects waste fluids found at large and small industrial locations, including metal fabricators, auto maintenance providers, and general manufacturers. This segment also manufactures, formulates, packages, distributes, and markets lubricants and other automotive products. Clean Harbors, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Norwell, Massachusetts.

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>>> Waste Management Inc (WM) Reports Strong Q4 and Full-Year 2023 Earnings


GuruFocus Research

Feb 13, 2024


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/waste-management-inc-wm-reports-113530156.html


Revenue Growth: Q4 revenue increased to $5.217 billion, up from $4.935 billion in Q4 2022.

Income from Operations: Full-year income from operations rose to $3.575 billion from $3.365 billion in the previous year.

Net Income: WM reported a net income of $493 million in Q4, compared to $499 million in the same quarter last year.

Diluted EPS: Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the year stood at $5.66, up from $5.39 in 2022.

Operating EBITDA Margin: Q4 saw an adjusted operating EBITDA margin of 29.9%, a significant improvement from 27.5% in Q4 2022.

Free Cash Flow: WM generated strong cash from operations, contributing to robust full-year cash flow.

Sustainability Investments: WM continues to invest in renewable natural gas projects and recycling assets, with significant projected EBITDA contributions by 2026.


On February 13, 2024, Waste Management Inc (NYSE:WM) released its 8-K filing, detailing its financial performance for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023. WM, the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operates 259 active landfills and about 337 transfer stations, serving various end markets and leading North America in recycling efforts.

WM's fourth-quarter results showcased accelerated earnings growth, attributed to effective price programs and cost optimization strategies. The company's full-year operating EBITDA reflected growth due to these operational efficiencies. Despite facing challenges such as inflationary pressures and the need for continuous investment in sustainability, WM's strategic focus on pricing discipline and operational excellence has paid off, leading to a robust financial position.

Financial Highlights and Analysis

WM's revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $5.217 billion, a 5.7% increase from $4.935 billion in the same period last year. Full-year revenue also saw an increase, reaching $20.426 billion, up from $19.698 billion in 2022. This growth reflects WM's ability to effectively manage its pricing strategies and maintain revenue growth despite economic uncertainties.

Income from operations for the year was $3.575 billion, a 6.2% increase from the previous year's $3.365 billion. This improvement indicates WM's success in enhancing its operational efficiency and controlling costs. The company's net income for the fourth quarter was slightly lower at $493 million compared to $499 million in Q4 2022, but the full-year net income increased to $2.304 billion from $2.238 billion.

Diluted EPS for the year improved to $5.66, up from $5.39 in 2022. The adjusted operating EBITDA margin for the fourth quarter expanded significantly to 29.9%, demonstrating WM's ability to optimize margins through its operational excellence programs.

WM's focus on sustainability growth is evident in its investments in renewable natural gas projects and recycling assets. These investments are expected to contribute significantly to the company's EBITDA by the end of 2026, reflecting WM's commitment to creating economic and environmental value.

WM's President and CEO, Jim Fish, emphasized the company's strong performance and the momentum built in the second half of 2023, positioning WM for sustained growth in 2024. Fish also highlighted the company's capital allocation priorities, including investments in sustainability growth, accretive acquisitions, and returning cash to shareholders.

Our operating and financial results in the second half of 2023 surpassed expectations driven by strong execution on our pricing and operating excellence programs," said Jim Fish, WMs President and Chief Executive Officer.

WM's financial tables reveal a company that is not only growing its top line but also improving its profitability and cash flow generation. The company's balance sheet remains solid, with a healthy cash position and a manageable level of debt.

In conclusion, WM's earnings report reflects a company that is successfully navigating the complexities of the waste management industry, leveraging its scale and operational expertise to deliver strong financial results. The company's strategic investments in sustainability initiatives are expected to contribute to its growth trajectory, making it an attractive proposition for value investors.

For more detailed information on WM's earnings, including financial tables and key metrics, investors are encouraged to review the full 8-K filing.

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>>> 15 Best Environmental Stocks To Invest In


Insider Monkey

by Syed Ijaz

November 20, 2023


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-best-environmental-stocks-invest-143941826.html


In this piece, we will take a look at the 15 best environmental stocks to invest in. To know more about the top stocks, go directly to 5 Best Environmental Stocks To Invest In.

Environmental stocks have become a global subject of discussion as organizations, governments, and regulatory bodies are highly concerned about global warming and increasing carbon footprints. Around the world, companies are devising policies to cut their carbon emissions and adopt more favorable methods including switching their operations to renewable and electric energies. Over time, environmental, social, and governance practices are being implemented widely and firms are allocating a portion of their budgets to ESG activities. Environmental stocks are shares of firms that are focused on sustainability, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other green initiatives. Out of all the approaches toward sustainability and mitigating environmental hazards, electric vehicles, and renewable energy offer a way out. Since the manufacturing of electric vehicles is growing globally, a couple of firms in our list of the best environmental stocks belong to the EVs sector. Chinese companies have earned a big name in the EVs industry as a lot of Chinese firms are putting their capital into the production of electric cars.

The electric vehicle market is growing exponentially. According to the International Energy Agency, a total of 14% of automobiles sold globally last year were EVs, up from 9% in the prior year. In the first quarter of this year, more than 2.3 million EVs were sold around the globe, while the agency expects around 14 million in sales by the end of 2023. Outside Europe and North America, Asian regions are also seeing an increase in EV production. For instance, India, Thailand, and Indonesia collectively witnessed 80,000 sales of EVs in 2022 which was more than three times compared to 2021. Looking ahead, China maintains its ranking as the biggest market for electric cars with 40% of consolidated sales by 2030, the IEA said.

Renewable energy also plays a fundamental role in the global environment. The International Renewable Energy Agency, or IRENA, stated that around 300 gigawatts of renewables were added globally in 2022, which resulted in 83% of new capacity. The research also highlighted that investments around the world in energy transitions reached $1.3 trillion last year. In terms of the best environmental stocks, some leading players have invested heavily in ESG initiatives as investors keep an eye on those environmentally focused firms that are frequently adopting streamlined approaches towards people, the planet, and profits. To know more about green stocks, visit 11 Best Green Stocks To Invest In 2023.

Fund managers today are keen to invest in sustainable organizations and that's why some of the best environmental stocks have become their top choice for investment. Sustainable investing is a high priority for fund managers because they conclude that ESG and shareholder value have a direct link. According to Bloomberg, by 2025, ESG assets will hit $50 trillion in value.

"Global business leaders across all industries anticipate strong growth in ESG assets, and they are making investments in ESG with the same bottom line-driven focus as their non-ESG investments. A resounding 71% of global business leaders believe that, “Eventually, no investment decisions will be made without considering ESG," Bloomberg said.

Some of the best environmental stocks include Elon Musk's Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), XPeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV), and others. For this, we decided to take a look the 15 best environmental stocks to invest in.

A closeup of a finger resting on a stock chart as investors carefully examine the market.

Our Methodology

To compile the list of the best environmental stocks to invest in, we filtered companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq which were engaged in ESG initiatives including renewable energy projects and EVs manufacturing. The stocks were ranked based on Insider Monkey’s database of 910 hedge funds tracked at the end of Q2 this year. The ranking was based on the ascending order of the number of hedge fund investors in each stock and then the top 15 best environmental stocks are selected for investment purposes.

Best Environmental Stocks To Invest In

15. NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) designs, manufactures, and sells EVs in China. The company offers luxurious electric SUVs as well as smart electric sedans. Apart from EVs, NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) also provides power solutions, including Power Home, a home charging solution; Power Swap, a battery swapping service; Power Charger and Destination Charger, and others. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China. Last year, NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) and United Nations Development Programm signed an agreement as the partner of the Clean Parks platform. Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of Q2, 19 held stakes in NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO). The largest stakeholder was George Soros' Soros Fund Management which owned 115.3 million stakes of NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) that were valued at $110.1 million.

14. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) is a New York-based firm that offers end-to-end clean hydrogen and zero-emissions fuel cell solutions for supply chain and logistics applications, on-road electric vehicles, stationary power market, and others in the North American continent. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) recently signed an agreement for a 280 MW (megawatt) proton exchange membrane electrolyzer system to rcadia’s Vordingborg plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel. In Q3, it posted revenue of $198.7 million. At the end of June 30 this year, Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) had 20 hedge funds investors out of 910 funds tracked by Insider Monkey database. Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group was the largest stakeholder with 133.1 million shares that were valued at $281.3 million.

13. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24

Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) develops, installs, and sells solar energy systems in the US. The company has pledged to have net-zero emissions across all of its operations by 2040. Last year, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) redeployed or recycled over 85% of solar panels with recycling providers. In its 2022 ESG report, the California-based firm said that it offered more than $1 billion in energy savings to customers since 2007. It also rolled out Sunrun Empowered Giving, a $3 million corporate giving and employee charitable program. In Q3, the company deployed 258 megawatts of solar capacity and anticipates to deploy 220 megawatts to 245 megawatts of solar capacity in Q4.

Insider Monkey took a look at hedge fund portfolios for Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)’s second quarter of 2023 investments and concluded that 24 had stakes in the firm. William B. Gray's Orbis Investment Management was Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)’s largest stakeholder which owned 14 million shares of the firm that were valued at about $250 million.

12. Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) ranks 12th in our list of the best environmental stocks to invest in. The company designs, manufactures, and sells EVs in China. Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) offers Li ONE and Li L series smart EVs through online and offline channels. To mitigate operating impacts on the environment, Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) collaborated with Michelin to buy its new low-carbon tires that cut carbon emissions by 67% in the production stage and 3% in the use stage. Recently, Barclays raised its price target on Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) to $50 from $48. The Chinese EV manufacturing firm debuted its listing on the Nasdaq in July 2020. In Q3, it posted earnings of $1.34 per share and revenue of about $4.8 billion.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of June 30, 25 had stakes in Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI). The largest stakeholder was Israel Englander's Millennium Management which owned about 100.8 million shares of the firm that were valued at $139.4 million.

Along with Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE), and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) is one of the best environmental stocks to invest in.

11. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26

Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) offers environmental and industrial services globally under its The Environmental Services and The Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segments. In 2021, the company had a net climate benefit factor of more than two times which divides avoided emissions with total emissions. In March this year, Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) appointed Eric Dugas as CFO, succeeding Michael Battles. In Q3, it reported EPS of $1.68 and revenue of $1.4 billion. The Massachusetts-based firm introduced its Vision 2027 sustainability program this year.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of Q2 2023, 26 had stakes in Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH). The largest stakeholder was Robert Joseph Caruso's Select Equity Group which owned about 2 million shares of the firm that were valued at $337 million.

10. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) is as an energy infrastructure firm in the US and Canada. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Calgary, Canada, Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) operates under its Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services segments. As one of the best Canadian environmental stocks to invest in, Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) signed an agreement with FortisBC Holdings Inc. to buy FortisBC Midstream Inc., which holds a 93.8% interest in Aitken Creek Gas Storage facility and a 100% interest in Aitken Creek North Gas Storage facility.

At the end of Q2 this year, Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) had 28 hedge funds investors out of 910 profiled by Insider Monkey database. The largest stakeholder was Rajiv Jain's GQG Partners which had 6.4 million shares of Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) that were valued at around $237.4 million.

9. Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29

Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) ranks 9th in our list of the best environmental stocks to invest in. The company provides renewable energy solutions in the US under its Conventional, Renewables, and Thermal segments. Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) manages wind and solar generation projects, as well as natural gas generation facilities. Last year, it signed an agreement to buy a portfolio of operating wind projects from Capistrano Wind Partners for $255 million.

At the end of Q2 this year, Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) had 29 hedge funds investors out of 910 profiled by Insider Monkey database. The largest stakeholder was Israel Englander's Millennium Management which had 1.1 million shares of Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) that were valued at $29.2 million.

8. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) provides environmental service offering in the US. It collects and processes recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials. In Q3, it posted earnings of $1.54 per share that beat analysts' expectation of $1.41. Recently, Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) entered into an agreement with Blue Polymers, LLC to construct the first plastics recycling complex in the US. The site is expected to be operative next year.

At the end of Q2 this year, Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) had 37 hedge funds investors out of 910 profiled by Insider Monkey database. The largest stakeholder was Ian Simm's Impax Asset Management which had 1.4 million shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) that were valued at $360.5 million.

7. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a Texas-based firm that offers environmental solutions in the US and Canada including picking up and shifting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site. As one of the best environmental stocks to invest in, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) communicated its plans last year to invest roughly $1.6 billion in environmental, social, and governance projects including $550 million on recycling initiatives. In its third quarter this year, it posted adjusted earnings of $1.63 per share and revenue of $5.2 billion. Its stock was recently upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.

Insider Monkey took a look at Q2 hedge fund portfolios for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) and found that 39 had stakes in the firm. Michael Larson's Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust was the largest stakeholder of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) which bout 35.2 million shares of the firm that were valued at $6.1 billion.

6. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) produces and sells direct current optimized inverter systems for solar photovoltaic installations globally under its Solar and All Other segments. In its 2022 ESG report, SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) said it recycled over 88% of generated waste last year and equipped more than 2.7 million homes with its SolarEdge photovoltaic system. It recently rolled out high-power, three-phase SolarEdge 330kW Inverter and its complementing H1300 Power Optimizer in the US. In Q3, it generated revenue of $725.3 million.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of Q2, 43 had stakes in SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG). The largest stakeholder was David E. Shaw's D E Shaw which owned about 1.5 million shares of the firm that were valued at $404.7 million.

Along with Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE), and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) is one of the best environmental stocks to invest in.

5. Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) is one of the biggest merchandize retailers in the US. With a market capitalization of $60 billion, Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories. Recently, JPMorgan raised Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)’s price target to $125 from $113, while Wells Fargo upgraded the firm’s stock to overweight from equalweight. The company expects to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.

“We want our guests to turn to Target first when they think about sustainability. We know that the only way to make that possible is by putting both people and the planet at the center of our efforts, as we co-create with our guests, our partners and the communities we serve,” Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility Amanda Nusz said.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey, 45 held stakes in Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). The largest stakeholder was Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group which owned roughly 3 million shares of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) that were valued at $111.8 million.

4. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) develops and sells home energy solutions for the solar photovoltaic sector globally. Ranked 4th in our list of the best environmental stocks to invest in, Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) expects to attain a 30% reduction in its economic emissions intensity by 2030. In 2022, Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) reported 100% of the recycling of harmful materials. In Q3, it reported earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $551.1 million.

Insider Monkey took a look at hedge fund portfolios for Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH)’s second quarter of 2023 investments and concluded that 50 had stakes in the firm. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group was the largest stakeholder that owned 1.5 million shares of Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) that were valued at $259.5 million.

3. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51

Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) offers photovoltaic solar energy solutions around the globe. Ranked 3rd in our list of the best environmental stocks to invest in, First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) said last year it planned to invest roughly $1.2 billion in America’s clean energy future by constructing a vertically-integrated manufacturing site in the country which it expects to be operational by 2025. In its 2023 ESG report, the company expects to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of June 30, 51 had stakes in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR). The largest stakeholder was Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group which owned about 2.8 million shares of the firm that were valued at $538.7 million.

2. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Florida. As one of the largest electric utility companies in the US, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale clients in Canada, Mexico, and the US. By no later than 2045, the company expects to completely eliminate its carbon emissions. In September, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)’s Florida Power & Light Company unit signed an agreement to sell Florida City Gas Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) for $923 million.

“Producing electricity at Real Zero would be a game-changer – for our customers, the U.S. electric power sector and the entire U.S. economy,” Chairman and CEO John Ketchum said during the company’s 2023 ESG report.

Out of 910 hedge funds profiled by Insider Monkey at the end of June 30, 59 had stakes in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE). The largest stakeholder was Citadel Investment Group which owned about 2.8 million shares of the firm that were valued at $207.2 million.

1. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79

As one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers globally, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) tops our list of the best environmental stocks to invest in. With a market capitalization of around $740 billion, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) produces, leases, and sells EVs, and energy generation and storage systems mainly in the US, China and the European market. In 2022, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) developed and sold more than 1.3 million EVs around the world. In Q3, it manufactured more than 430,000 EVs and said that energy storage deployment jumped 90% year-over-year. For the September quarter, the Elon Musk-led EV manufacturing giant reported non-GAAP earnings of $0.66 per diluted share and total revenue of $21.5 billion.

Insider Monkey took a look at Q2 hedge fund portfolios for Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and found that 79 had stakes in the firm. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group was the largest stakeholder of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) which bought about 63.5 million shares of the firm that were valued at $16.6 billion.

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>>> WASTE CONNECTIONS ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SECURE ENERGY'S WASTE DISPOSAL-CENTRIC ASSET DIVESTITURES IN WESTERN CANADA


PR Newswire

December 11, 2023


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/waste-connections-announces-agreement-acquire-120000117.html


TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Connections, Inc. (TSX/NYSE: WCN) ("Waste Connections" or the "Company") today announced that its subsidiary, Waste Connections of Canada Inc., has entered into an agreement with Secure Energy Services Inc. (TSX: SES) ("Secure") to acquire a portfolio of 30 energy waste treatment and disposal facilities in Western Canada for an aggregate purchase price of CAD$1.075 billion plus certain adjustments as provided in the definitive purchase agreement.

The assets to be acquired by the Company include 18 treatment, recovery and disposal facilities; six landfills; four saltwater disposal injection wells; and two disposal caverns and represent all of the required divestitures as mandated by the Canadian Competition Tribunal following Secure's 2021 merger with Tervita Corporation. The oil and gas exploration and production ("E&P") waste treatment and disposal facilities are strategically located in key geographic Canadian oil and gas basins and serve a diverse customer base largely oriented to production. The combined annual revenue being acquired by the Company is currently estimated at approximately CAD$300 million.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of Canadian Competition Bureau approval, and it is expected to close during the first quarter of 2024.

"This acquisition represents a unique opportunity for outsized value creation from the expansion of our presence in Canada through a network of E&P waste treatment and disposal assets located in the most attractive and growing basins," said Ronald J. Mittelstaedt, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The divestitures are a rare combination of high-quality, well-situated disposal and treatment assets with significant internal capacity for growth. With a heavy orientation towards serving customers engaged in energy production activity, these assets will be complementary to our U.S. R360 Environmental Solutions operations."

Mr. Mittelstaedt added, "Once closed, this acquisition is expected to add over 50 basis points to our consolidated EBITDA margin, given the high margin, disposal-oriented profile of the facilities. Moreover, we also expect this transaction to be accretive to earnings per share and free cash flow margins."

Waste Connections

Waste Connections (wasteconnections.com) is an integrated solid waste services company that provides non-hazardous waste collection, transfer and disposal services, including by rail, along with resource recovery primarily through recycling and renewable fuels generation. The Company serves approximately nine million residential, commercial and industrial customers in mostly exclusive and secondary markets across 44 states in the U.S. and six provinces in Canada. Waste Connections also provides non-hazardous oilfield waste treatment, recovery and disposal services in several basins across the U.S., as well as intermodal services for the movement of cargo and solid waste containers in the Pacific Northwest. Waste Connections views its Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") efforts as integral to its business, with initiatives consistent with its objective of long-term value creation and focused on reducing emissions, increasing resource recovery of both recyclable commodities and clean energy fuels, reducing reliance on off-site disposal for landfill leachate, further improving safety and enhancing employee engagement. Visit wasteconnections.com/sustainability for more information and updates on our progress towards targeted achievement.

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>>> Republic Services, Inc. (RSG)


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-best-mario-gabelli-stocks-163023754.html


Number of Billionaire Investors In Q3 2023: 14

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) is a waste management company with hundreds of collection points all over America. Trash is king, it seems, as the firm has beaten analyst EPS estimates in all four of its latest quarters and consecutively sequentially grown its EPS in all of them.

After digging through 910 hedge funds for their Q3 2023 holdings, Insider Monkey found 37 Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) investors. Ian Simm's Impax Asset Management was the biggest investor as it owned $310 million worth of shares.

Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON), Lands' End, Inc. (NASDAQ:LE), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) are some stocks that Mario Gabelli and billionaires can't get enough of.

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>>> Republic Services Polymer Center Opens, Promoting Bottle-to-Bottle Plastics Circularity


PR Newswire

Dec 5, 20233


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/republic-services-polymer-center-opens-130200842.html


First-of-its-kind facility in North America will help meet growing demand for recycled plastics for use in sustainable packaging

PHOENIX, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) today marked the opening of its Polymer Center in Las Vegas, the first-of-its-kind facility in North America, enabling greater circularity for plastics and helping meet growing demand for recycled material. The Polymer Center expects to produce more than 100 million pounds of recycled plastics each year for use in sustainable packaging and other applications.

"The Republic Services Polymer Center will supply high-quality, domestically sourced recycled plastic to advance a critical need for more sustainable packaging," said Jon Vander Ark, president and chief executive officer. "As a leader in the environmental services industry, it's our responsibility to challenge every truckload of material we collect. The Polymer Center is another example of our commitment to developing solutions that promote greater circularity and help customers achieve their sustainability goals."

The Polymer Center will process plastic bottles, jugs and containers collected from homes and businesses to produce recycled PET (rPET) flake and color-sorted HDPE and polypropylene ready for use in new sustainable packaging. Until now, the fate of a recycled plastic bottle in the U.S. wasn't a new plastic bottle; instead, it was generally downcycled into fiber for use in carpet or clothing – material that has few options for further recycling. The Polymer Center expects to significantly extend the lifecycle of plastic packaging and help turn plastic bottles into new bottles six to seven times, enabling true circularity.

As brands commit to using more recycled content in their packaging and more states mandate the use of recycled plastic, supply is struggling to meet the growing demand. By 2030, demand for rPET in the U.S. is expected to total 5 billion pounds, while the supply – based on current processes – will only reach about 2.5 billion pounds.1 The Polymer Center can help companies fill this urgent gap now.

The Coca-Cola Company, one of the first customers of the Las Vegas Polymer Center, has committed to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030. The Polymer Center is scheduled to supply rPET to Coca-Cola, beginning in January 2024.

Plans for a nationwide network of Polymer Centers are underway, with the second facility expected to open in Indianapolis in late 2024.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, solid waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Republic's industry-leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on its vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world.

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>>> Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN) provides non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, disposal, and resource recovery services in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services to residential, commercial, municipal, industrial, and exploration and production (E&P) customers; landfill disposal services; and recycling services for various recyclable materials, including compost, cardboard, mixed paper, plastic containers, glass bottles, and ferrous and aluminum metals. The company also owns and operates transfer stations that receive compact and/or load waste to be transported to landfills or treatment facilities through truck, rail, or barge; and intermodal services for the rail haul movement of cargo and solid waste containers in the Pacific Northwest through a network of intermodal facilities. In addition, it provides E&P waste treatment, recovery, and disposal services for waste resulting from oil and natural gas exploration and production activity, such as drilling fluids, drill cuttings, completion fluids, and flowback water; production wastes and produced water during a well's operating life; contaminated soils that require treatment during site reclamation; and substances, which require clean-up after a spill, reserve pit clean-up, or pipeline rupture. Further, the company offers leasing services to its customers. Waste Connections, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Woodbridge, Canada.

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>>> Why trash hauler Republic Services thinks the U.S. is going green despite the politics: ‘To be environmentally sustainable, it’s got to be economically sustainable’


Fortune

by Phil Wahba

September 8, 2023


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-trash-hauler-republic-services-120000584.html


Jon Vander Ark doesn't mind anyone calling the company he leads, Republic Services, a garbage company. After all, founded in 1996, the company made its name hauling trash and still makes 5 million collections a day. But Vander Ark, CEO since 2021 and a 13-year veteran of Republic Services, has been working to modernize its business model to go after the higher-growth, higher-profit recycling market.

"I've seen us go from a garbage company to a waste company to a waste and recycling company to now an environmental services and sustainability company," says Vander Ark.

Last year, Republic managed 8 million tons of recyclable items, and extracted 2.4 million tons of materials that can have a second life. This strategy has boosted its stock in the last two years and given the company a market cap of $45 billion. What's more, under Vander Ark, Republic has gone after the fast-growing environmental services and consulting business, making a number of acquisitions. Vander Ark's moves raised revenue 20% last year to almost $14 billion.

The CEO says the way for Republic to thrive in this hyper-politicized environment around climate change is to simply be pragmatic about the focus on cost savings and revenue potential as Americans recycle more. For instance, Republic now has a fast-growing business recovering plastic consumer packaging for circularity, a term that refers to components being constantly re-used. It takes thrown away plastics and recycles them to produce high-quality plastic used by consumer packaged goods companies. "We think about circularity and de-carbonization as two fundamental mega-trends," says Vander Ark.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Fortune: How do we in the U.S. become a less wasteful society? And if we manage to do that, is that bad for business?

It would not hurt business. In fact it helps. We're already seeing that in terms of shrinking solid waste on a per capita basis. Typically a market grows with population, but solid waste is shrinking because we're diverting more and recycling is growing faster to make up the difference. Our aspiration is to accelerate that trend. So we look at every ton that goes into a landfill and challenge ourselves and ask, "How could we take that out and create value with it?" I pay for something to go to a landfill. But if I can recycle it, I get value for it on the other end.

When you look at how far along many European countries are in recycling in contrast to how much Americans throw out as trash, it's tempting to see Americans as lazy. Can recycling really become part of our culture?

We're certainly behind the Europeans. They're a very source-separated environment and things are very clearly separated for plastic, aluminum, glass and paper. That's how the U.S. was originally and recycling rates didn't really move for a period of time. When it did take off is when we moved to single stream, which is to put everything in one big container, which made it easier for people to recycle. But that has complications. You have some people who don't care and they're still putting garbage in and contaminating that load. And then you have at the other end, the wishful recycler who wants that greasy pizza box to be recycled so badly, but it can't be.

It seems like a lot of packaging is wasteful and impedes recycling. What can be done?

Take plastic packaging. Not all plastics are recyclable. So take a clamshell that is used for your take-out chicken rotisserie. It was made with post-consumer recycled content (material made from the items that consumers recycle every day such as aluminum, cardboard boxes, paper, and plastic bottles). But that shell itself is not going to be recycled, it's going to the landfill. So part of the opportunity is to design for recyclability upfront.

What do you make of the current pushback against ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards for publicly traded companies? Could this hurt your business, or does this ESG emphasis march forward?

"ESG" needs to be unpacked. It's like a pig, a chicken and duck that get lumped together. All different, but all worthy topics. The "E" part of this is here to stay. We think about circularity and de-carbonization as two fundamental mega-trends that whatever the political sentiment, companies are investing billions of dollars in. There's a global consensus there and we see those as tailwinds for our business.

Another CEO recently told me that you can get consumers on board with green initiatives more easily if one doesn't mention climate change, and by emphasizing reducing waste and saving money. Do you agree?

We're not running away from climate change. We get that the world is heating up and humans are a factor in that and we don't hide from that. I would say this: if something's going to be environmentally sustainable, it's got to be economically sustainable. So we don't do things as science projects or for charity. It's our business and we're going to make money and grow.

You have a goal that by 2030, half of your new garbage and recycling trucks will be electric vehicles. That's ambitious but what stops you from going even faster?

Just like a passenger car, if you retrofit a diesel truck, you add too much weight with the batteries and so it becomes economically inefficient. But when you design it from scratch, you take enough weight out so it can run a full 10.5-hour day and 125 miles without having to stop, so you don't lose productivity.

Do you ever get offended by someone calling Republic Services a garbage company despite all the push you've made into recycling and environmental services?

We're not offended by that because people get too easily offended. That's what we called ourselves a decade ago and I've seen us go from a garbage company to a waste company to a waste and recycling company to now an environmental services and sustainability company. And as that's evolved, so has our mindset. We still have landfills and they are going to be with us for a long time, so we don't run from that. But we're way bigger and way more than that now.

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>>> BWXT-led Team Awarded $45 Billion Environmental Management Contract for DOE’s Hanford Site


Businesswire

April 17, 2023


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bwxt-led-team-awarded-45-203000678.html


LYNCHBURG, Va., April 17, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced a contract with an estimated value of up to $45 billion over a 10-year ordering period from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for environmental management operations at the Hanford Site in Washington.

The DOE announced that the Hanford Integrated Tank Disposition Contract (ITDC) was awarded to Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure, LLC (H2C), which is a joint venture led by a BWXT subsidiary and includes subsidiaries of Amentum and Fluor.

"This is the largest single contract award in our company’s history and is a stair-step achievement as we strengthen our leadership position in environmental restoration at highly technical projects across the nation," said Rex Geveden, BWXT’s president and chief executive officer. "Our company remains highly committed to this critical mission for the U.S. Department of Energy and our emphasis on environmental stewardship and sustainability more broadly going forward."

"Our team is honored to take on the largest and most complex radioactive waste cleanup project in the United States," said Heatherly Dukes, president of BWXT’s Technical Services Group. "We are committed to working with our DOE Environmental Management customer, regulatory authorities and the Tri-Cities community in safely reducing the environmental liabilities at the site in an efficient and effective manner that is protective of the workforce, the public and the environment."

The scope of the ITDC includes operation of Hanford tank farm facilities, eventual operation of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, and responsibility for other core functions such as project management, security and emergency services, business performance, and environment, safety, health and quality.

The DOE is engaged in one of the great public works projects of this century at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Responsible for the federal government’s cleanup of the legacy of more than 40 years of producing plutonium through the 1980s, DOE is transforming the site back into an operations mode to treat tank waste from the production era. More information is available from the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management.

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>>> Solarcycle Plans To Recycle 1 Million Panels A Year With Help From $30 Million In Financing


Forbes

Mar 15, 2023


https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2023/03/15/solarcycle-plans-to-recycle-1-million-panels-a-year-with-help-from-30-million-in-financing/?sh=73c8b5015406


Solar panels don’t last forever, but they don’t have to die, either. A California startup called Solarcycle has developed proprietary technology to turn old panels into materials for new ones.

Company CEO and Cofounder Suvi Sharma says the tech can return more than 95% of valuable materials like aluminum, glass, copper, silver and silicon back to the domestic solar value chain. That can make for a more sustainable and scalable solar industry in the United States that relies less on overseas suppliers.

Solarcycle has just raised $30 million in Series A funding, bringing the company total to $37 million since its birth in January 2022. The round was led by large asset manager Fifth Wall and HG Ventures, the corporate arm of The Heritage Group. Other participants included Prologis Ventures and existing investors Urban Innovation Fund and Closed Loop Partners.

The equity and infrastructure financing will be used to grow the capacity of a Solarcycle recycling plant in Texas from 500,000 to 1 million panels by the end of the year and invest in further research and development.

Sharma explains that solar panels last for maybe 25-30 years, at the most. So panels that were installed decades ago are reaching the end of their lives, and being landfilled or replaced by mining new materials.

He says he spent 18 years in the solar industry and helped establish Solarcycle out of necessity. “I was looking for a recycler that could truly recycle solar panels and couldn’t find any.”

A report by Yale Environment 360 details an expected surge of retired solar panels from the fastest-growing source of energy in the U.S. and says about 90% of old modules end up in landfills after they’ve lost their efficiency due to age or are defective.

Solarcycle is one of only five companies in the United States listed by an industry group as being capable of providing recycling services.

Sharma argues that Solarcycle has the most-advanced and cost-effective solution.

“We are a solar company that does recycling, not a recycling company that does solar.”

But there’s plenty of need for solar panel recycling.

“There are about 500 million solar panels installed in the country,” the CEO says. “There’s more solar panels than there are people.

“There’s going to be 1 billion (solar panels) within the next five years” in part from incentives for domestic manufacturing under the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We need more materials for those and we need to get those materials for the next generation of panels from the old panels that are reaching the end of life.”

The Solar Energy Industries Association said in a recent solar market insight report that “projections for this and next year show a broad market recovery with growth across all sectors averaging 19% per year until 2027.”

Solarcycle can recycle more than 90% of a solar panel from a volume or weight perspective. Sharma says the technology can recycle more than 95% of the materials from an old panel. The company is still finalizing the recycling of plastics.

Solarcycle has a corporate headquarters in Oakland, California. Its recycling facility on 15 acres in Odessa, Texas, takes in panels from residential, commercial and industrial sources, and utility companies.

The process is being fine-tuned in Texas and Solarcycle hopes to expand from a capacity of 500,000 panels per year to 1 million by the end of 2023. That’s a lot, but “we are really at the tip of the iceberg on this thing,” Sharma says.

Research by Rystad Energy of Norway projects that recyclable materials from solar panels will be worth more than $2.7 billion by 2030, up from $170 million this year.


“While the end of life stream of solar panels is relatively small today,” Sharma says, “it’s growing extremely rapidly and will continue to for the next 20 years—almost exponential growth.”

At its Texas facility, Solarcycle is building a system using “second-life” solar panels, or those that still work but were replaced by users who wanted to upgrade. The company plans to install the system this year and Sharma says it can supply all or most of the energy needed to power the recycling facility.

Each old panel there will come in handy later on. “When it does truly reach the end of life, we don’t have to ship it anywhere again. We really just recycle it on-site, with a huge environmental benefit,” he says.

Beyond the latest round of financing, Solarcycle is looking to expand closer to areas where old panels need recycling.

“The Southwest, like California for example, is currently the largest solar state,” the CEO says. “Also, it’s got a lot of the old systems. Right now, we are bringing in panels from all over the country for recycling. As needs grow, we will set up something closer to California, in the Southwest.”

For now, Solarcycle has a domestic focus and international aspirations. Sharma says the bulk of solar product installed in the U.S in the last five to 10 years has come from China or Chinese manufacturers.

“In order to build a strong, domestic industry here for manufacture of solar, it’s critical to get these materials like glass, aluminum, silicon and put them back into the material set for the next generation of panels. That’s one way we can really become more self-reliant in the U.S. on solar manufacturing.”

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>>> 11 Best Recycling Stocks To Buy Now


Insider Monkey

by Hamna Asim

December 21, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-best-recycling-stocks-buy-165844433.html


In this article, we discuss 11 best recycling stocks to buy now. If you want to see more stocks in this selection, check out 5 Best Recycling Stocks To Buy Now.

The global waste recycling services market was valued at $57.69 billion in 2021 and is expected to be worth $88.01 billion by 2030, indicating a compound annual growth rate of 4.8% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2030. The high volume of global economic activities has heightened the demand for recycling of waste materials.

The recycling sector has become an integral part of the urban infrastructure since it ensures the protection of both the human health and environment. In addition to higher urbanization and the expanding industrial sector, the growing agricultural production leads to more wastage from the agro-industries, thus driving the demand for the waste recycling services across the globe.

There are new entrants looking to resolve the lags in the waste management and recycling industry. For example, solar panels are considered green hardware, but older versions of panels are turning into hazardous waste. Thus, a California-based startup, SolarCycle, is using that waste by recycling parts of the older panels and disposing them off for profit. SolarCycle asserts that it can cheaply extract about 95% of the important materials in solar panels, like silver, silicon, copper, and aluminum. These can then be recycled or repurposed, resulting in an efficient circular solar economy.

Some of the best recycling stocks to invest in include Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), and Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG).

Our Methodology

We selected the following recycling stocks based on positive analyst coverage, strong business fundamentals, and market visibility. We have assessed the hedge fund sentiment from Insider Monkey’s database of 920 elite hedge funds tracked as of the end of the third quarter of 2022. The list is arranged according to the number of hedge fund holders in each firm.

Best Recycling Stocks To Buy Now


11. Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 8

Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It is an environmental services company in the United States, operating through three segments – Assessment, Permitting and Response, Measurement and Analysis, and Remediation and Reuse. It provides its services to the technology, media, chemical, energy, power and utility, industrial and manufacturing, financial, and engineering industries, as well as local, state, provincial, and federal government entities.

On December 12, BofA analyst Andrew Obin upgraded Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) to Buy from Neutral, citing a forecast for accelerating earnings growth in 2023. Montrose Environmental Group (NYSE:MEG) stock also rose on December 12 after the company announced it had acquired Huco Consulting, a company focused on safety and ESG goals, to expand its range of environmental services.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 8 hedge funds were bullish on Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) at the end of the third quarter of 2022, compared to 9 funds in the last quarter. Richard Driehaus’ Driehaus Capital is the largest stakeholder of the company, with 342,461 shares worth $11.5 million.

Like Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), and Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) is one of the best recycling stocks to consider buying.

Here is what Baron Funds specifically said about Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG) in its Q2 2022 investor letter:

“Montrose Environmental Group, Inc.(NYSE:MEG), an environmental services company, underperformed during the quarter. Despite reiterating guidance for 2022, Montrose underperformed as the market penalized high-growth companies generally. We continue to remain positive on the company’s prospects and ability to achieve or beat its long-term growth target of over 20% per year. We remain particularly excited about Montrose’s potential to benefit from increased government regulation around PFAS chemical contamination and methane emissions.”


10. Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 9

Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) is a Texas-based company that provides solutions for the reuse, recycling, and disposal of waste streams and recyclables in the United States. It offers disposal and recycling services for motor oil and automotive lubricants, oil filters, scrap tires, goods destruction, food waste, plastics, cardboard, metal, glass, mixed paper, construction debris, and regulated and non-regulated solid, liquid, and gas wastes. Even without gaining new clients, existing customers will likely expand operations and require more waste services, making Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) one of the premier recycling stocks to invest in.

On April 18, EF Hutton analyst Chip Moore initiated coverage of Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) with a Buy rating and a $13 price target. As a leading national provider of waste and recycling solutions, Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) is "differentiated" by its asset-light, national footprint, and ability to handle comprehensive waste streams, the analyst told investors. He noted that the company has also developed "valuable" data warehousing capabilities, offering full waste-stream services for its clients.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 9 hedge funds were long Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) at the end of September 2022, with collective stakes worth $29.5 million, compared to 7 funds in the prior quarter worth $14.7 million. Nelson Obus’ Wynnefield Capital is the leading position holder in the company, with 2.5 million shares worth $21.7 million.

Here is what Long Cast Advisor specifically said about Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) in its Q2 2022 investor letter:

“Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:QRHC) borrowed heavily to purchase Rome RWS, Inc., and with results from the acquired company not yet fully on the income statement, the debt ratios expanded and equity valuations declined. Management – and really the Board – is undertaking a high skill maneuver of integrating its largest acquisition to date, carrying an unprecedented level of debt all concurrent with the long planned retirement of the long tenured CFO. It’s a little more exciting than necessary but the valuation is undemanding and the opportunity set is quite large.

Since I’ve long written about what this company could look like if it leaned more deeply into utilizing technology within its two-sided marketplace, I’ll be closely following the XPO Logistics (XPO) spinoff of the truck brokerage business, expected in 4Q22. Truck and waste brokerage share some similar dynamics and as I’ve long noted, the technologist at XPO worked at Oakleaf concurrently with QRHC CEO Ray Hatch. Technology was a big enabling factor at Oakleaf and in XPO’s +10x growth. I think it would have a similar function for QRHC were management to wisely invest time and resources in its development.”


9. Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE:LICY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE:LICY) is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and the company engages in the lithium-ion battery resource recovery and lithium-ion battery recycling business in North America. On October 13, the company announced that it has initiated commercial operations at its lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Alabama. The facility, which is based in Tuscaloosa, uses patented technology to recycle and directly process full EV battery packs without any dismantling through a submerged shredding process that produces no wastewater. Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE:LICY) is one of the premier recycling stocks to invest in.

On December 15, ??Citi analyst P.J. Juvekar maintained a Buy recommendation on Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE:LICY) but lowered the firm's price target on the shares to $7.50 from $8. The analyst observed that while there is an inclination to go back to cyclical chemical names after having lagged in 2022, he has decided to "stay defensive" going into 2023.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 15 hedge funds were long Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE:LICY) at the end of September 2022, and Zilvinas Mecelis’ Covalis Capital is the leading position holder in the company, with 11.6 million shares worth $61.8 million.


8. Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) is an Illinois-based company that provides parts cleaning, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and used oil collection services to small and mid-sized customers in the industrial and vehicle maintenance sectors in the United States and Canada. The company also provides containerized waste management, wastewater vacuum, antifreeze recycling, and field services. Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) is one of the leading recycling stocks to invest in.

On October 19, Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) reported Q3 non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.01 and a revenue of $172.22 million, outperforming Wall Street estimates by $0.21 and $17.23 million, respectively. The Q3 revenue increased nearly 40% compared to the prior-year quarter.

Needham analyst James Ricchiuti on October 21 maintained a Buy rating on Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) but trimmed the firm's price target on the shares to $40 from $43 as he noted that the company delivered "another impressive quarterly report." Oil business margins are forecasted to shrink in Q4 as a result of downtime in Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI)’s refinery, which may have contributed to the pullback in shares, but it is "unwarranted," the analyst wrote in a research note.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 19 hedge funds were long Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) at the end of September 2022, compared to 16 funds in the last quarter. Chuck Royce’s Royce & Associates is the largest stakeholder of the company, with 1.15 million shares worth $34 million.

Meridian Funds made the following comment about Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:

“Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc (NASDAQ:HCCI) is an environmental services company focused on machine parts cleaning, used oil collection, oil re-refining, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste services. Our rationale for investing in this company includes the recurring revenue stream it generates from its environmental services business unit and substantial growth opportunities in the re-refinery and used oil collection segments. Continued strong execution and higher oil prices contributed to the stock’s solid performance during the period. Notably, Heritage-Crystal Clean’s oil business segment generated record revenue in the second quarter and saw segment margins improve to 41%, as the spread between base oil sales and the cost of collecting used oil widened. The company’s core environmental services segment also recorded record quarterly revenue. We believe the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) story at Heritage remains under appreciated by the market as the company collects used motor oil and recycles it for reuse. We have high conviction in the long-term growth story for the company, but trimmed our position in the stock during the period as the share price appreciated.”


7. PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 23

PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company produces recycled polypropylene (PP) and holds a license for restoring waste PP into ultra-pure recycled resin. Its recycling process separates color, odor, and other contaminants from plastic waste feedstock to turn it into virgin-like resin. PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) is one of the best recycling stocks to consider. At the end of September 30, the company had total liquidity of $416.1 million, including $215.0 million of cash, cash equivalents, and debt securities available for sale and $201.1 million in restricted cash.

On November 11, Cowen analyst Thomas Boyes maintained an Outperform rating on PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) but lowered the price target on the shares to $11 from $15. The analyst said as expected, pellet production at Ironton shifted into January and said the facility is still forecasted to fully ramp at the end of 2023.

According to Insider Monkey’s third quarter database, 23 hedge funds were bullish on PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT), with collective stakes worth $407.7 million, compared to 23 funds in the prior quarter worth $400.6 million. Daniel Patrick Gibson’s Sylebra Capital Management is the leading stakeholder of the company, with more than 29 million shares worth $235.5 million.


6. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 23

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) operates as a vertically integrated solid waste services company in the United States. The company offers resource management services including solid waste collection and disposal, transfer, recycling, and organics services to residential, commercial, municipal, institutional, and industrial customers. The company lifted its full-year 2022 revenue guidance to between $1.065 billion and $1.080 billion from a prior range of $1.035 billion to $1.050 billion. The consensus revenue came in at $1.04 billion.

On October 24, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Moore initiated coverage of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) with a Buy rating and a price target of $95, down from $103. The company offers superior pricing power given its Northeast concentration, as well as the ability to see accelerated margins from operating leverage and efficiency investments, the analyst told investors in a research note. She added that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) is also the only public waste company its size not to be acquired, which provides "downside support to valuation on a takeout potential".

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 23 hedge funds were long Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) at the end of the third quarter of 2022, compared to 17 funds in the prior quarter. Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies is the largest position holder in the company, with 686,959 shares worth $52.5 million.

In addition to Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), and Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) is one of the leading recycling stocks to monitor.


5. GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28

GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) is a diversified environmental services company operating in Canada and the United States. The company offers non-hazardous solid waste management, infrastructure and soil remediation, and liquid waste management services. Its solid waste management business includes the collection, transportation, transfer, recycling, and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste for municipal, residential, and commercial and industrial customers.

On November 2, GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) reported a Q3 non-GAAP EPS of $0.20 and a revenue of $1.83 billion, topping market estimates by $0.04 and $570 million, respectively. It is one of the premier recycling stocks to invest in.

CIBC analyst Kevin Chiang on December 14 raised the firm’s price target on GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) to C$50 from C$46 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 28 hedge funds were long GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) at the end of Q3 2022, compared to 25 funds in the last quarter. Robert Pohly’s Samlyn Capital is the largest stakeholder of the company, with 4.5 million shares worth $114.3 million.

Here is what Ave Maria specifically said about GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) in its Q2 2022 investor letter:

“GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE:GFL) is a growing solid waste management company. In the first quarter of 2022, revenue increased 11.3% on an organic basis and 27.4% including acquisitions. At the company’s investor day in May, the management provided increased free-cash-flow guidance for 2022, 2023 and 2024., which looks very positive.”


4. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30

Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is a Massachusetts-based company that provides environmental and industrial services in North America. The company operates through two segments, Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions. The Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment offers pickup and transportation services for hazardous and non-hazardous containerized waste for recycling or disposal. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is one of the leading recycling stocks to invest in.

Baird analyst David Manthey on November 3 raised the price target on Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) to $155 from $150 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. The analyst sees a good setup for ongoing solid pricing and deferred waste streams, perhaps cushioning results, while PFAS/reshoring/increased blended oil sales could also augment his view.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 30 hedge funds were long Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) at the end of September 2022, with combined stakes worth $497 million, compared to 28 funds in the prior quarter worth $408 million. Ian Simm’s Impax Asset Management is the largest position holder in the company, with 1.12 million shares valued at $123 million.

Meridian Funds made the following comment about Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:

“Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is a leading hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal management company in North America and one of our longer-term holdings. Particularly impressive are its hazardous waste incinerators, which are nearly impossible to replicate. We also like its oil re-refinery business which is gaining recognition as a sustainable source of motor oil. Through cost controls and price increases, the company was successful in managing the inflationary environment during the period. Utilization of its incinerator network reached 90% during its most recently reported quarter and pricing increased 18% from a year ago. High and increasing base oil prices provided an additional boost to its re-refinery business, widening the spread between the price Clean Harbors charges for its refined oil and the price it pays for used oil. A resurgence in U.S. manufacturing activity and the accretive acquisition of HydroChemPSC also contributed to investors’ enthusiasm for the stock. Although our long-term outlook for Clean Harbors remains upbeat, we trimmed our position in the stock due to the company’s high debt balance as a result of the acquisition. We also believe the economic slowdown may eventually impact Clean Harbors, which operates in a late-cycle industry and therefore tends to have a delayed response to economic developments.”


3. LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company deals in auto replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles. LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) provides scrap metal and other materials to metals and automotive recyclers. The company raised its latest quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.275 per share, which was paid to shareholders on December 1. The board also authorized a $1 billion increase and one-year extension to its stock repurchase program, lifting the aggregate repurchase authorization to $3.5 billion through October 25, 2025.

On July 12, MKM Partners analyst Scott Stember initiated coverage of LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) with a Buy rating and a $68 price target. Prospects for LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ)’s North American business “have never been better” and the effective scaling of the European business has yielded gains in segment sales and profits, said the analyst, who added that “LKQ has turned into a cash flow-generating machine.”

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 32 hedge funds were long LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) at the end of September 2022, compared to 31 funds in the earlier quarter. ValueAct Capital is the leading stakeholder of the company, with 12.5 million shares worth $592 million.

Bonsai Partners mentioned LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) in its first-quarter 2021 investor letter. Here’s what they said:

“LKQ is the largest provider of alternative collision and mechanical automotive parts in the United States. In Europe, they are the leading distributor of general automotive maintenance parts and supplies. Its shares appreciated 20.1% during the quarter.

During the quarter, LKQ shared its fourth-quarter results: showing a slight revenue decline and a nearly 30% increase in quarterly profit Vs. the same period last year. COVID has proved a surprising catalyst for my investment thesis which revolves around optimizing their recent large acquisitions that were never efficiently integrated.

Admittedly, in addition to LKQ’s quarterly performance, thematically, there has been broad enthusiasm for “re-opening” trades, of which, LKQ has been a beneficiary. Most importantly, the prior overhang related to LKQ’s debt burden is now all but behind us. Their net debt to EBITDA ratio now sits below 2x, a stark change from the near 3x leverage ratio before the pandemic. At that time, LKQ’s leverage had the potential to spiral upward to nearly 4-5x if the business experienced a prolonged shutdown. It’s good to be past this issue.”


2. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) is a provider of non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, disposal, and resource recovery services in the United States and Canada. The company offers collection, landfill disposal, and recycling services to residential, commercial, municipal, industrial, and exploration and production customers. It is one of the top recycling stocks to monitor. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) raised its latest quarterly dividend by nearly 11% to $0.255 per share, which was distributed to shareholders on December 1.

On October 24, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Moore initiated coverage of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) with a Buy rating and a $165 price target. The analyst said the stock is best-in-class amongst its waste peers with above-average pricing growth and margins due to its suburban market exposure, as well as the exclusivity from its franchise contracts. The analyst added that she views it has a clear line of sight into at least low double digit revenue growth in 2023.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q3 data, 33 hedge funds were long Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), compared to 34 funds in the prior quarter. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with 2.15 million shares worth $290.4 million.

Conestoga Capital Advisors made the following comment about Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:

“Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN): WCN is a leading waste management service company that provides collection, recycling, transfer and disposal services in North America. This top ten holding performed well during the quarter given the consistency of its business model with stable volumes, strong pricing power and healthy margins.”


1. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) is an Arizona-based company that offers environmental services in the United States. The company provides collection and processing of recyclable materials, collection, transfer and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste, and other environmental solutions. It is one of the best recycling stocks to invest in. On October 27, Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) reported a Q3 non-GAAP EPS of $1.34 and a revenue of $3.59 billion, outperforming Wall Street estimates by $0.12 and $60 million, respectively.

BMO Capital analyst Devin Dodge on December 7 downgraded Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) to Market Perform from Outperform with a price target of $148, down from $152. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) has meaningfully outperformed the market this year, indicating robust industry conditions, strong execution, and an investor preference for defensive stocks, the analyst told investors in a research note. While solid waste stocks normally outperform deep into a recession, the much anticipated economic pullback has meaningfully been reflected in the relative share price performance, noted the analyst. As such, he sees lower potential returns over the next 12 months. Despite the downgrade, he still believes Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) could be attractive for individuals with a longer investment horizon.

According to Insider Monkey’s data, 41 hedge funds were long Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) at the end of Q3 2022, compared to 33 funds in the last quarter. Richard Chilton’s Chilton Investment Company is a notable position holder in the company, with 1.38 million shares worth $188.5 million.

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>>> Tetra Tech Wins $105 Million EPA Watershed Assessment and Protection BPA


Business Wire

March 7, 2023


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tetra-tech-wins-105-million-140000089.html


PASADENA, Calif., March 07, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK), a leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services, announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water awarded the Company a five-year, $105 million Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to restore and protect watersheds and water bodies throughout the United States.

Tetra Tech will identify, analyze, and evaluate surface water and coastal ecosystems to protect human health and aquatic environments from the impacts of pollution and the effects of climate change, including ocean acidification. Tetra Tech’s scientists will design monitoring programs, develop predictive models, and prepare technical guidance documents to assess chemical, physical, and biological integrity of water bodies. Our technical specialists will analyze model results and manage spatial datasets to develop effective management strategies for inland and coastal regions impacted by land-use related activities, stormwater and runoff, habitat loss, and invasive species.

"Tetra Tech has supported EPA’s Office of Water in developing science-based solutions for more than 40 years," said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech Chairman and CEO. "This is Tetra Tech’s tenth consecutive EPA watershed management contract, supporting EPA in analytics, guidance, and training associated with the development and execution of watershed protection programs. We are pleased to continue using our Leading with Science® approach and Tetra Tech Delta technologies to assess and protect water bodies throughout the United States."

About Tetra Tech

Tetra Tech is a leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services for projects worldwide. With 27,000 employees working together, Tetra Tech provides clear solutions to complex problems in water, environment, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and international development. We are Leading with Science® to provide sustainable and resilient solutions for our clients. For more information about Tetra Tech, please visit tetratech.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Waste Management - >>> WM excels at turning trash into cash for its investors. The provider of waste collection, disposal, and recycling services is the largest such company in North America. Its vast network of existing landfills puts it in a strong competitive position. Strict regulations and rigid homeowner opposition to new landfills make it unlikely that competitors will be able to wrest market share from the garbage king.

WM's profits are well-protected. The company passes on much of its free cash flow to investors via dividends and share repurchases, which boost the share price.

WM delivered its 19th consecutive annual dividend increase in late 2021, increasing it by 13%. Investors who buy shares today can expect many more dividend increases in the years ahead, which makes WM an ideal income stock.

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https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/income-stocks/



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>>> Ecolab picks Home Depot for launch of first consumer cleaning products


By Alyxandra Sego

St. Paul Business Journal

Feb 2, 2023


https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2023/02/02/ecolab-scientific-clean-homedepot-consumer-product.html?utm_source=sy&utm_medium=nsyp&utm_campaign=yh


Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL), the St. Paul-based maker of water treatment systems and cleaning chemicals, is launching its first-ever consumer product line.

The new line, Ecolab Scientific Clean, is being sold exclusively at The Home Depot (NYSE: HD), the home improvement retailing giant based in Atlanta.

Ecolab's Scientific Clean product line includes four product categories:

Bathroom cleaners
Degreasers
Pressure washer concentrate
Floor care

Prices generally run in the $6 to $24 range.

Ecolab has sold cleaning products for years, but they've generally been aimed for commercial or industrial markets. The company's traditional customers include hospitals, airports, hotels and the like. That said, Ecolab's brand has been plenty visible to consumers in recent years, as companies nationwide made prominent displays of their Covid-era sanitization efforts.

“Every day, in countries all over the world, restaurants, hospitals and hotels put their trust in Ecolab products to keep their kitchens, operating theaters and guest rooms clean. For the very first time, our new Ecolab Scientific Clean products will bring 100 years of expertise and innovation to Home Depot customers,” said Ecolab President and Chief Operating officer Darrell Brown in a statement.

“Having Ecolab Scientific Clean on our shelves not only provides our Pro customers to deliver a professional clean, but it allows our DIY customers to bring that cleaning power into their homes, as well," said Jeff Kinnaird, The Home Depot's executive vice president of merchandising.

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>>> EPA awards $1B to clean up 22 toxic waste sites nationwide



By MATTHEW DALY

Associated Press


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/epa-awards-1b-to-clean-up-22-toxic-waste-sites-nationwide/ar-AA17kRE0?OCID=ansmsnnews11


WASHINGTON (AP) — Projects to clean up 22 toxic waste sites across the country will receive $1 billion from the federal Superfund program to help clear a backlog of hazardous sites such as landfills, mines and manufacturing facilities, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday.

The money is the second installment in $3.5 billion appropriated under the 2021 infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden. Sites targeted for cleanup include a lead-contaminated neighborhood on Atlanta’s Westside and a former dry cleaning solvents distributor in Tampa, Florida.

The money also will be used to speed cleanup of 100 ongoing Superfund projects across the United States, the EPA said. The agency has vowed to clear a longtime backlog in the Superfund program, which was established in 1980 to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The program has languished for years because of a lack of funding.

The EPA announced an initial $1 billion in funding from the infrastructure law in December 2021.

While the agency is moving faster to clean up contaminated sites in communities across the country, “our work is not yet finished,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Friday. “We’re continuing to build on this momentum to ensure that communities living near many of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination finally get the investments and protections they deserve.”

Of the new cleanup sites announced on Friday, 60% are in low-income or minority communities that are chronically over-polluted, Regan said.

Thousands of contaminated sites exist across the country as a result of hazardous waste being dumped — often illegally — left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed, including in manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining sites.

Superfund cleanups help transform contaminated properties and create jobs in overburdened communities, while repurposing these sites for a wide range of uses, including public parks, retail businesses, office space, homes and solar power generation, EPA said.

Besides the Atlanta and Tampa projects, money also will go to a groundwater contamination site in Indianapolis, a former tannery in Danvers, Massachusetts, and a former metal stamping and tool and die shop near St. Louis. The funding also includes new cleanup of a former General Motors foundry in Upstate New York that has been on the Superfund list since 1984. The site in Massena has long been contaminated by toxic chemicals known as PCBs and other pollutants.

In all, new projects in 14 states and Puerto Rico will receive funding, EPA said.

About $50 million will go to clean up lead contamination in a residential neighborhood in Atlanta. The Westside project has been waiting for years to access federal funds. Experts say it’s unclear exactly where the lead came from, but it is likely from metal foundries that were once common on Atlanta’s Westside.

The cleanup money “couldn’t come soon enough,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said on a conference call Friday with Regan and other officials. "This accelerated timeline would not be possible without this historic investment.”

Similarly, a project in Tampa was identified as a Superfund site in 1999 but remains contaminated, said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.

The site is near where she and her husband got married, Castor said. In an apparent nod to Warnock's status as a pastor, Castor said that while "it's important to have faith, there's nothing like having resources'' to clean up pollution.

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>>> 11 Biggest Garbage Companies in the US


Insider Monkey

by Faiq Zafar

November 16, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-biggest-garbage-companies-us-152514519.html


In this article, we shall discuss the 11 biggest garbage companies in the United States. To skip our comprehensive analysis of the waste management sector in the United States, go directly and see 5 Biggest Garbage Companies in the US.

According to a report by McKinsey and Company, growth in the global economy has led to a drastic increase in consumption which, in turn, has led to an increase the use of resources. This has resulted in a rapid surge of waste production. Global demand for plastics is also on the rise, promulgated by the material's barrier properties, light weight, malleability and profitable production economics. Plastic consumption is expected to play a significant role in global supply chains, despite efforts to move away from single-use plastics. This rising demand of plastic has also spurred a drastic rise in plastic waste production. According to the report, since 2007, the considerable rise in solid waste production has strained waste-management systems in many countries, which has led to negative impact on the global economy, health, and ecosystems.

Waste Collection Services Industry in the U.S: An Analysis
The average American produces approximately 4.5 pounds of trash a day, leading the U.S. to produce 268 million tonnes of waste annually. Though the country is home to merely 4% of the global population, it is responsible for more than 12% of the planet's waste. According to a study conducted by Greenpeace USA, industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy is nothing more than "fiction", as of the 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by households in the United States in 2021, only 2.4 million tonnes, less than 5%, were recycled. After peaking in 2014 at 10%, the trend of recycling in the United States has been on the decline, especially since China stopped accepting the West's plastic waste in 2018. Since the waste management industry revenue is highly dependent on waste production in any given economy, the market trends for the industry in the U.S. have picked up considerably since the pandemic in 2020, and a favorable future outlook for the industry is anticipated.

The waste collection services industry has recorded massive growth over the past five years. The market is highly segmented into industrial waste, hazardous waste, and municipal waste. Given that residential waste has remained relatively dormant during the period, accounting for 31.8% of the total market share, overall industry demand is stabilized. The market size, measured by revenue, has totaled up to $68 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach $229.3 billion by 2028, projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. Stringent government regulations towards open burning and illegal dumping, introduction of governmental regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions like the Inflation Reduction Act, and legislative amendments by the Environmental Protection Agency to contain illegal dumping and burning of waste, are all driving augmented market growth. However, inadequate waste disposal methods, and labor intensive and high cost of transportation are anticipated to restraint the North American waste management market. Some of the most prominent players in the waste collection industry are Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM), Waste Connections Inc. (NYSE:WCN), and Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG).

In this article, we shall discuss the 11 biggest garbage companies in the United States by total market capitalization.

Biggest Garbage Companies in the US


11. Rubicon Technologies LLC (NYSE:RBT)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $346.8M

Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Rubicon Technologies (NYSE:RBT) is an American software company which specializes in the development and procurement of software to regulate waste and recycling. Rubicon Technologies (NYSE:RBT) has pioneered a mobile application to provide on-demand trash pickup. Founded in 2008, the company was able to generate an initial funding of $5 million in its first financing round. The amount went up to $30 million in 2015 in their second round, and $57 million in their third. As of the third quarter of 2022, Rubicon Technologies (NYSE:RBT) generated a total revenue of $185 million. The company has only 481 employees across three office locations in Colorado, Menlo Park, and Stamford.

Rubicon Technologies' (NYSE:RBT) primary objectives is to reduce inefficiencies and maximize the amount of waste which is diverted away from landfill sites. The company's application is fully operational in more than 20 countries including the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, with more than 3.4 million user service locations as of 2022. Rubicon Technologies (NYSE:RBT) is a cloud-based company and its software platform analyzes customers' waste stream and regulates all the data on haulers, clients, and recycling possibilities. The company expounds a range of SaaS products for waste, recycling, and smart city solutions, with the subscription model contributing to more than 50% of Rubicon's (NYSE:RBT) annual revenue. Prominent clients for the company include 7-Eleven, Wegmans, and Starbucks.

10. 374Water Inc. (NASDAQ:SCWO)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $418.7M

Based in Durham, North Carolina, 374Water Inc. (NASDAQ:SCWO) is an American waste management company which specializes in pollution and treatment control, waste collection and disposal, and the development of wastewater treatment systems. It is a social impact, cleantech company, which procures innovative IT solutions to inculcate a circular economy and a clean environment. Founded in 2018, the company is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Duke University. As of the third quarter of 2022, 374Water Inc. (NASDAQ:SCWO) posted a total revenue of $922,718.

374Water Inc. (NASDAQ:SCWO) largely focuses on developing and providing technology which addresses environmental pollution challenges. It has developed a waste stream treatment system which relies on supercritical water oxidation technology. Furthermore, the company's AirSCWO systems are widely used in the treatment and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams. 374Water's (NASDAQ:SCWO) client base consists of channel partners, engineering companies, construction companies, waste service providers and NGOs.

9. Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $878.8M

Based in Portland, Oregon, Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN) is an American manufacturer of steel and a waste management company which largely focuses on scrap metal and non-hazardous solid waste recycling. Founded in 1906 as a one-person scrap metal recycler, the company went public in 1993 via an initial public offering and got listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange and Russel 2000 index. Since then, Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN) has undergone massive growth through multiple acquisitions, the most notable being GreenLeaf Auto Recyclers, State Line Scrap Co, and Advanced Recycling. As of the third quarter of 2022, the company posted a total revenue of $894.4 million.

Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN) focuses on the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metal. The company collects, processes, and recycles salvaged vehicles, rail cars, home appliances, industrial machinery and construction and demolition scrap. It has more than 54 metals recycling facilities, an electric arc furnace steel mill, and more than 51 retail self-service auto parts stores across the United States. Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN) produces and sells various finished steel products through its recycling operations, like wire rods, coiled rebar, and other specialty products. Furthermore, Schnitzer Steel Industries (NASDAQ:SCHN) is also an industry leader in the procurement and sale of catalytic converters to specialty processors which use it in the extraction of non-ferrous metal products like platinum, palladium and rhodium. The company has more than 3,471 employees across more than 40 U.S. states.

8. PureCycle Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $1.25B

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, PureCycle Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) is an American recycling company which specializes in the collection, processing, and conversion of polypropylene plastic waste into almost-new plastic. The company develops patented recycling processes, in collaboration with Procter and Gamble, which separates color, odor, and contaminants from plastic waste feedstock to convert it into pure recycled polypropylene (PP). This state-of-the-art process completes the loop on the reuse of recycled plastics and makes recycled polypropylene more accessible at scale to consumers. PureCycle Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) has total of 119 employees nationwide. The company went public on May 4, 2020, raising more than $76.5 million in investment.

With more than 170 billion pounds of PP produced annually, with an averaged 5% rate of growth over the last decade, there has been an increased demand for PureCycle Technologies' (NASDAQ:PCT) Ultra-Pure Recycled (UPR) resin patent. Skyrocketing consumer demand, major multinational sustainability commitments, new recycled content restrictions, and non-recycled plastic taxes have driven the demand for the company's UPR resin, with PureCycle Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT) being the only UPR resin provider in the waste management industry. The company has garnered favorable hedge fund sentiment over the years, with some of the most prominent hedge funds to have stakes in the company including the likes of Sylebra Capital Management, Harvard Management Company, and Atalan Capital.

7. U.S. Ecology Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $1.51B

U.S. Ecology Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL) is an American waste management, waste treatment, and recycling company based in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1952, the company is parented by Republic Services, which is an American waste collection and disposal company. In 2021, the company generated a total revenue of $988 million, with gross profit reaching up to $233.1 million. Some hedge funds which hold stakes in U.S. Ecology Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL) include Springbok Capital, Centiva Capital, and ExodusPoint Capital.

U.S. Ecology Inc. (NASDAQ:ECOL) is an industry leader in hazardous waste collection, treatment and disposal, and offers a diverse portfolio of waste disposal options and waste treatment capabilities in the industry, and also offers waste transportation services to commercial and governmental organizations in the United States. The company is spread over 100 service locations and 35 disposal facilities across the United States, and has operations in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico.

6. Casella Waste Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST)
Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $4.19B

Based in Rutland, Vermont, Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) is an American waste management company which provides resource management expertise and services to residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial customers, especially focusing on solid waste collection and disposal, transport, recycling, and organics services. In the third quarter of 2022, Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) generated a total revenue of $295.3 million, with total full-time employees ranging up to 2,900 nationwide. Some of the most prominent hedge funds to hold stakes in Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) as of Q2 2022 are Jim Simons' Renaissance Technologies, Israel Englander's Millennium Management, and Richard Driehaus' Driehaus Capital.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) provides integrated solid waste services in seven states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania. The company's services are managed on a geographical basis, through two eastern and western operating segments. As of November 2022, Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) owns and operates more than 42 solid waste collection operations, 59 transfer stations, 18 recycling facilities, 9 Subtitle D landfills, four landfill gas-to-energy facilities, and one landfill which has unrestricted permission to accept C&D materials.

5. Clean Harbors Inc. (NYSE:CLH)

Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $6.01B

Based in Norwell, Massachusetts, Clean Harbors Inc. (NYSE:CLH) is an American waste management company which specializes in the provision of environmental and industrial services, hazardous waste disposal, and solid waste disposal. In the third quarter of 2022, the company generated a total revenue of $1.36 billion against an operating expense of $243.4 million. As of November 2022, Clean Harbors Inc. (NYSE:CLH) has more than 18,000 employees throughout its facilities in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Clean Harbors Inc. (NYSE:CLH) operates through two primary segments: Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions. The former concerns itself with the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. The processes by which these services are carried out include resource recovery, physical treatment, fuel blending, incineration, and landfill disposal. The segment also provides industrial maintenance and specialty industrial services. Clean Harbors Inc. (NYSE:CLH) has expanded significantly since it was incorporated in 1980 through organic growth and approximately 35 acquisitions. Major acquisitions include Eveready Inc, Peak Energy Services, Safety-Kleen Systems, which has been their most profitable acquisition to date. As of November 2022, the company has over 430 service locations across the North American continent including 60 hazardous waste management facilities in 38 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

4. Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL)

Total Market Cap (As of November 7):

Based in Bannockburn, Illinois, Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) is an American compliance company which specializes in the collection and disposal of regulated substances, such as medical waste sharps, hazardous waste, and solid waste. The company also provides training services and has multiple bases of operation all across the world. Stericycle’s (NASDAQ:SRCL) services range from regulated waste management services, sharping disposal containers to reduce the risk of needlesticks, drug disposal, healthcare compliance, and pharmaceutical disposal. The company acquired Shred-it in 2015, thereby adding secure information destruction services to its portfolio. In the third quarter of 2022, Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) generated a total revenue of $690.3 million against an operating expense of $215.6 million.

Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) has a global presence, with 14,500 employees in more than 640 locations across 21 countries. More than 25% of the company’s revenue is generated via its international operations, with the most prominent countries being the United States, Canada, Ireland, Spain, and Brazil. Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) has also associated itself with many community causes including Feed My Starving Children, American Diabetes Association, National Safety Council, and even set up SteriCares Hardship Fund to provide monetary relief to impoverished families.

3. Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN)

Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $34.76B

Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company which focuses on slid waste collection, transfer disposal, and recycling services. It is the third largest waste management company in the United States by overall market capitalization, with a total market cap of $34.7 billion as of November 7. Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) generated a total revenue of $1.88 billion in Q3 2022. Founded in 1997 in Folsom, California, Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) has 19,998 employees across operational facilities in the United States and Canada.

As of Q4 2021, more than 70% of the company’s revenue was from solid waste collection, 21% from solid waste disposal and transfer, 4% from recycling, and 5% from its oil industry waste operations. 16% of the company’s total revenue was from Canada while the rest was from the United States. Waste Connections’ (NYSE:WCN) primary services include waste collection and disposal services. These services are often carried out through contractual operations with municipalities to collect the waste in that respective jurisdiction for an agreed-upon rate. The services are provided directly to residential, commercial and industrial clients. Furthermore, Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) owns and operates more than 87 solid waste landfills as of November 2022. Since the company’s incorporation in 1997, the company has achieved growth through notable acquisitions of R360 Environmental Solutions and Progressive Waste Services of Canada, among others.

2. Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $40.7B

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG) is an American waste management service provider which specializes in non-hazardous solid waste collection, waste transfer, waste disposal, recycling, and energy services. Founded in 1998, Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG) generated a total revenue of $3.6 billion in the third quarter of 2022. The company owns and operates more than 195 active landfills and 90 recycling centers across the United States. Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG) owns the largest landfill in the U.S, at 2,200 acres. With over 35,000 employees nationwide, it is the second largest garbage company in the United States by overall market capitalization.

Republic Services’ (NYSE:RSG) operations primarily comprise the collection, transfer, and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste. The company operates in more than 43 states across the United States, and with 343 collection operations, 204 transfer stations, 7 treatment, recovery, and disposal facilities, and 11 salt water disposal wells, the company is an industry leader in waste management. Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG) is subject to different federal, state and local regulations which oversee the environmental, public health, safety, zoning, and land use impact of the corporation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administer these regulations. Furthermore, the company dedicates more than 45% of its earnings into the development and production of new technologies and the initiation of new programs across the United States.

1. Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM)

Total Market Cap (As of November 7): $64.32B

Based in Houston, Texas, Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) is an American waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company. It is the largest waste management company in the United States by overall market capitalization, and together with Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG), handles more than half of all garbage collection in the United States. As of the third quarter of 2022, Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) posted a total revenue of $5.08 billion. The company offers garbage collection services to more than 22 million residential, industrial, municipal, and commercial customers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. With a total of 48,500 employees across the North American continent, the company is an industry leader in garbage collection, transfer, and disposal.

Waste Management’s (NYSE:WM) network comprises more than 346 transfer stations, 293 active landfill disposal sites, 146 recycling plants, 111 beneficial-use landfill gas projects and six power production plants. With over 26,000 collection and transfer vehicles, the company has the most expansive trucking network in the U.S. waste management sector. It recycles more than 9 million tonnes of materials at over 146 facilities nationwide, ranging from single-stream recycling, electronic recycling, and recycling of organic waste and construction debris. Since its incorporation in 1968, Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) has achieved massive growth through both, organic methods and acquisitions. The company is also a marketing behemoth, with multi-million dollar marketing agreements with CBS, the Transformers franchise, and the Walt Disney Company. In February 2022, the company rebranded to WM (NYSE:WM), and adopted a new slogan – “for tomorrow.”


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>>> Satellite data finds landfills are methane 'super emitters'


By SIBI ARASU

Associated Press

Aug 2022


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/satellite-data-finds-landfills-are-methane-super-emitters/ar-AA10wOw8?OCID=ansmsnnews11


BENGALURU, India (AP) — Landfills are releasing far more planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste than previously thought, a study suggests.

Scientists used satellite data from four major cities worldwide — Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina — and found that emissions from landfills in 2018 and 2019 were 1.4 to 2.6 times higher than earlier estimates.

The study, published in Science Advances on Wednesday, is aimed at helping local governments carry out targeted efforts to limit global warming by pinpointing specific sites of major concern.

When organic waste like food, wood or paper decomposes, it emits methane into the air. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions globally, after oil and gas systems and agriculture.

Although methane only accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions and lasts about a dozen years in the air, it traps 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide does. Scientists estimate that at least 25% of today’s warming is driven by methane from human actions.

“This is the first time that high-resolution satellite images have been used to observe landfills and calculate their methane emissions,” said Joannes Maasakkers, lead author of the study and atmospheric scientist at the Netherlands Institute for Space Research.

“We found that these landfills, which are relatively small compared to city sizes, are responsible for a large fraction of total emissions from a given area,” he said.

Satellite data to detect emissions is still a relatively new field, but it's being used more and more to observe gases across the world. It means more independent organizations are tracking greenhouse gases and identifying big emitters, whereas previously local government figures were the only source available.

How far is the US from a 100% renewable energy future?
Renewable energy in the United States nearly quadrupled in the last decade.

Solar power production today is 23 times greater than in 2011, while wind energy has tripled. This rapid expansion can be credited to technological improvements and economies of scale. State-level policies and incentives have also played a role in subsidizing renewable infrastructure.

With production ramping up and costs coming down, Stacker outlined what 100% renewable energy could look like across the U.S. by 2050, including challenges to reaching that milestone. Data is from Stanford and projections were gleaned from The Solutions Project.

Petroleum, natural gas, and coal represented the largest sources of American energy over the last century-plus. Coal production has been in sharp decline over the last two decades, marking major progress in the country’s move toward phasing out fossil fuels. Still, the havoc being wrought by high gas prices is evidence enough of our continued reliance on dirty energy.

Roughly 61% of electricity in the U.S. was generated from fossil fuels in 2021, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gasses. The U.S. is the second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide globally, with 75% coming from the energy-related burning of fossil fuels. However, the U.S. also ranks second in the world behind China for renewable energy power capacity.

Despite the plummeting prices of solar and wind, renewable energy is slow to replace fossil fuels across the country. In many cases, the cost of producing electricity using existing infrastructure is cheaper than building new renewable infrastructure. Nonetheless, more than two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. should prioritize alternative energy sources and that steps should be taken to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. More than 30% of Americans believe fossil fuels should be phased out of the energy mix altogether.

Public opinion on renewable energy breaks along familiar political party lines, with 64% of conservatives opposing steps toward carbon neutrality by 2050 and 94% of liberals being in favor of it. Many fossil fuel workforces and economies exist in traditionally Republican regions of the country—regions that also happen to have some of the greatest wind and solar energy potential.

“This new work shows just how important it is to manage landfills better, especially in countries like India where landfills are often on fire, emitting a wide range of damaging pollutants,” said Euan Nesbit, an Earth scientist at Royal Holloway, University of London, who wasn't part of the study.

Earlier this year, smoke hung over New Delhi for days after a massive landfill caught fire as the country was sweltering in an extreme heat wave with temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). At least two other landfill fires have been reported in India this year.

Nesbit added that the newer satellite technology, combined with on-the-ground measurements, makes it easier for researchers to identify “who is polluting the world.”

China, India and Russia are the world’s biggest methane polluters, a recent analysis by the International Energy Agency found.

At last year's United Nations climate conference, 104 countries signed a pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared with 2020 levels. Both India and China are not signatories.

The authors plan to carry out more research into landfill sites across the world in future studies.

“It is a quickly developing field and we expect more interesting data to come out soon,” said Maasakkers.

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Waste Management - >>> These 3 Stocks Could Finally Become Buys in a Bear Market


Motley Fool

By Matthew DiLallo, Neha Chamaria, and Reuben Gregg Brewer

May 28, 2022


https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/05/28/these-3-stocks-could-finally-become-buys-in-a-bear/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article


I'd love to go dumpster diving for this stock

Matt DiLallo (WM): Investors have been bidding up shares of collections and recycling company WM for several years. The company currently sells for nearly 35 times its earnings and about 15 times its cash flow from operations, both historically high multiples. Because of that, its dividend yield has fallen to its lowest level in years at around 1.5%. That's despite 19 consecutive years of increasing the payout, including a 13% boost last year.

While I love the company -- it has delivered steady growth and consistently returns cash to investors -- I haven't added to my position in years because it's too expensive for my liking. However, I have it on my watch list to buy if a bear market takes it lower. When stocks tanked during the pandemic's early days, WM shares briefly traded at a much more attractive valuation of less than 24 times earnings, under 10 times cash flow from operations, and a dividend yield approaching 2.4%. I missed my chance to add at that time, so I wouldn't mind another opportunity.

In addition to the steady cash flow produced by its collections, disposal, and recycling business, another factor I like about WM is its investments in renewable natural gas (RNG). WM plans to spend $825 million through 2025 to expand its RNG output by 600%. These investments will capture methane produced by its landfills to power its entire fleet and provide 1 million homes with renewable energy. That will save it money, generate incremental income, and reduce carbon emissions.

While there's no guarantee that WM's stock will tumble in a bear market -- shares were recently 7% below their peak despite a nearly 20% decline in the S&P 500 -- it's one stock I'd love to buy if a bear market made it a lot cheaper.

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>>> 10 Recycling Stocks to Buy Now


Insider Monkey

by Usman Kabir

March 30, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-recycling-stocks-buy-now-182403754.html


In this article, we discuss the 10 recycling stocks to buy now. If you want to read about some more recycling stocks to buy now, go directly to 5 Recycling Stocks to Buy Now.

The recycling industry is fast-emerging as one of the dominant market forces in the environmental sector. According to investment bank Stifel, the five largest recycling firms in the United States and Canada spent over $3.5 billion on mergers and acquisitions alone in 2021, beating the amount spent on consolidation in 2019. Solid waste firms, which comprise a part of the overall recycling industry, completed 95 mergers during the period, according to news platform Waste Dive that tracks recycling firms.

ESG, Government Spending Drive Recycling Forward

This industry consolidation is being fueled by concerns around a rise in the capital gains tax and recent reports that US President Biden might also move towards taxing unrealized gains. As countries around the world pledge to reduce their carbon emissions by 30% by the end of this decade, recycling firms have come under renewed focus on the international stage as well. ESG initiatives, becoming central to the finance world as well, are forcing large corporations to increase the use of reusable packaging in their products to more than 2%.

The US government is also ramping up spending in the recycling business. Under the Biden Jobs and Infrastructure Plan, approved earlier this year, $350 million have been set aside for municipal recycling improvements and upgrades to local waste systems, as well as battery recycling research. The funding is expected to be rolled out to local governments later this year. A Paycheck Protection Program is also expanding as the government increases the national recycling rate target to 50% by 2030.

Electric Vehicles, Tech-Related Waste Raise New Questions

The emergence of electric vehicles and other high-tech industries like quantum computing have led to questions about the environmental impact of consumer electronic goods. Recycling of EV batteries, one of the key components of futuristic vehicles, is already a thriving business. However, the collection and processing infrastructure for recycling, especially in the context of EVs, still has to scale up to meet demand. In addition, it has become harder for cities to innovate around new models as even basic services come harder to get by, indicative of larger political problems in both developed and non-developed economies.

Governments and businesses are nevertheless trying to incorporate new recycling goals to build a circular economy that benefits everyone. Lowering consumption and reducing waste, for the time being, remain the top priorities. Investors who are eager to jump aboard this boom for recycling should invest in established firms that have solid reputations and growth prospects. Some of the top recycling stocks to buy now include Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), among others discussed in detail below.

Our Methodology

The companies that operate in the recycling sector and are best positioned to gain in the coming months based on their business fundamentals and analyst ratings were selected for the list.

Data from around 900 elite hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey was used to identify the number of hedge funds that hold stakes in each firm.

Recycling Stocks to Buy Now


10. Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16

Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) provides regulated and compliance solutions. The firm primarily serves the healthcare industry in the United States and Europe. On March 23, RBC Capital analyst Sean Dodge kept an Outperform rating on the stock with a price target of $82, naming the stock as the "New Top Idea for 2022" in a bullish investor note that highlighted the "sustained organic revenue growth and margin expansion" for the firm that were offsetting near-term risks.

Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) shares have pulled back in the past few months and now seem attractively valued, per market experts like Dodge, given the capital allocation initiatives that the waste management firm has undertaken in relation to debt reduction and business or asset sales.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 16 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $472 million in Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL), compared to 17 in the previous quarter worth $516 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Ariel Investments is a leading shareholder in Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) with 4.2 million shares worth more than $253 million.

Just like Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) is one of the stocks on the radar of institutional investors.

9. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) offers environmental services like the collection and processing of recyclable materials. The company has an impressive dividend history stretching back close to two decades. On February 10, it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, in line with previous. The forward yield was 1.46%. The dividend will be payable to shareholders by late March and early April.

On March 1, JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee reinstated coverage of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) stock with a Neutral rating and a price target of $135, noting that firms dealing in solid waste were generating strong margins and free cash flows.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 38 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $1.3 billion in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), up from 31 in the preceding quarter worth $1.2 billion.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) with 1.6 million shares worth more than $228 million.

8. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) provides waste collection and recycling services. On March 1, JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee reinstated coverage of the stock with an Overweight rating and a price target of $147, highlighting that the firm had a “sustainable competitive advantage in its solid waste business, with a differentiated market positioning” that was focused on exclusive and secondary markets.

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) has a solid dividend history as well. It has paid a dividend to shareholders consistently for the past nineteen years and has grown the payout for the last four. It declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share in mid-February.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 36 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $1.5 billion in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), up from 32 the preceding quarter worth $785 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) with 1.7 million shares worth more than $239 million.

7. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) provides waste management environmental services. In addition to materials processing and commodities recycling, the company also provides services such as the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties. On February 2, the firm posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, beating market estimates on earnings per share and revenue by $0.04 and $60 million respectively.

JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee has a Neutral rating on Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) stock with a price target of $153. In a recent investor note, the analyst said the firm was playing “catch up” amid rising inflationary costs but the outlook for the sector overall remained bright.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 35 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $4.1 billion in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), compared to 36 in the preceding quarter worth $3.6 billion.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Washington-based firm Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is a leading shareholder in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) with 18 million shares worth more than $3 billion.

6. Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29

Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) is a steel producer and metal recycler. The stock has gained in the past few weeks after steel supplies from Russia were disrupted as a result of the Ukraine war and the Western sanctions against Moscow, fueling a rally in steel prices and a boom for US-based steel producers. The company has also benefited from the recent easing of steel tariffs between the US and UK.

On March 24, JPMorgan analyst Michael Glick kept an Overweight rating on Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) stock and raised the price target to $117 from $95, noting that there was broad upside for the steel industry in the coming months.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) with 1 million shares worth more than $66 million.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 29 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $390 million in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD), up from 23 in the previous quarter worth $481 million.

5. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH)

Along with Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) is one of the stocks that hedge funds are monitoring.

Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) provides environmental and industrial services. Elite hedge funds are bullish on the stock. Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, United Kingdom-based investment firm Impax Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) with 1.6 million shares worth more than $158 million.

On January 10, investment advisory Raymond James upgraded Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) stock to Strong Buy from Outperform and raised the price target to $125 from $120. Analyst Patrick Tyler Brown issued the ratings update.

4. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST)

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) is an integrated solid waste services firm. On February 22, Raymond James analyst Patrick Tyler Brown kept a Strong Buy rating on the shares with a price target of $92, underlining that the “landfill positioning and ongoing operational improvements offer sustainable organic opportunities to improve price and margins” for the firm despite pressures due to inflation.

Hedge funds have been loading up on Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) stock in recent months. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 25 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $173 million in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), up from 16 in the preceding quarter worth $106 million.


3. Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC)

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) is a business development firm that primarily invests in sustainable companies. Major hedge funds hold large stakes in the firm. Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Two Sigma Advisors is a leading shareholder in Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) with 759,700 shares worth more than $12.6 million.

On February 22, Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, reporting a net interest income of $0.35, beating estimates by $0.03. The total investment income over the period was $72.4 million, smashing estimates by $1.6 million.

2. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN)

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN) provides services related to the recycling of ferrous and nonferrous metal. On March 24, investment advisory KeyBanc upgraded the stock to Overweight from Sector Weight with a price target of $58. Analyst Philip Gibbs issued the ratings update.

The hedge fund sentiment around Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN) is overwhelmingly positive. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 13 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $33 million in Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN), up from 11 in the preceding quarter worth $12 million.

1. Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS)

Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS) is an environmental infrastructure and solutions company. The company recently started paying a dividend. On February 25, it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share, an increase of more than 28% compared to the previous dividend of $0.07 per share. The forward yield was 2.54%. It also recently beat market estimates on revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021.

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>>> Republic Services Advances Circularity with Nation's First Integrated Plastics Recycling Facility


Yahoo Finance

March 1, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/republic-services-advances-circularity-nations-140400312.html


The Polymer Center will supply the growing demand for recycled plastics in consumer packaging, enabling CPG brands to meet their sustainability goals


PHOENIX, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) today unveiled development plans for the nation's first integrated plastics recycling facility, which will directly address increasing demand from consumer brands and packaging manufacturers for recycled plastic, enabling greater circularity. The Republic Services Polymer Center represents the first time a U.S. company will manage the plastics stream through an integrated process from curbside collection of recycled material to production and delivery of high-quality recycled content for consumer packaging.

"Packaged goods manufacturers have set ambitious targets to use more post-consumer content in their products, but the current supply of recycled plastics falls short. The Republic Services Polymer Center will help meet the increasing demand for a reliable, high-quality supply of recycled plastics, assisting brands in achieving their sustainability goals," said Jon Vander Ark, president and chief executive officer. "This is a critical step forward in solving the plastics circularity challenge. As a leader in the environmental services industry and one of the nation's largest recyclers, Republic is uniquely positioned to support the circular economy."

Today in the U.S., only about 30% of single-use plastic bottles and jugs are recycled1. Even when these plastics are placed in the recycling bin, their lifecycle is not always circular. Instead of being recycled back into consumer packaging, these plastics often are downcycled into products such as textiles or carpet, or to industrial uses like construction pipe, which have few options for further recycling.

Brands continue to make voluntary sustainability pledges to increase the use of recycled content in consumer packaging, while states such as California and Washington are requiring the use of recycled content in single-use plastic containers. Despite this growing demand, there is not enough high-quality recycled plastic for manufacturers to use in consumer packaging. The Polymer Center will help bridge the gap between curbside collections and manufacturers' needs, providing a reliable supply of domestically sourced recycled plastics for use in food-grade and other consumer packaging.

Rigid plastics collected from residential and commercial customers and sorted at local recycling facilities will be delivered to the Polymer Center for processing, including shredding and hot washing or sorting by color. The facility is expected to produce more than 100 million pounds per year of recycled plastic products including 100% post-consumer PET flake delivered to the food-grade marketplace to enable bottle-to-bottle circularity. In addition, HDPE and PP packaging such as detergent jugs, which today are collected in multicolored bundles, can be separated by plastic type and color, allowing, for example, an orange jug to be recycled into another orange jug.

The first Polymer Center, opening in Las Vegas in 2023, will process plastics from Republic's recycling facilities in the West, where legislation is driving increased demand for recycled content. Republic anticipates opening two to three more centers to provide national coverage and further drive circularity.

Republic Services is a leader in sustainability and the environmental services industry. The Polymer Center directly supports Republic's long-term sustainability goal to increase the recovery and circularity of key materials by 40% by 2030 and will help our customers meet their own sustainability goals. For more information, visit RepublicServices.com/PolymerCenter.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the U.S. environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides superior service offerings while partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world.

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>>> Investing in Pollution Control and Waste Reduction


Investopedia

By CASEY MURPHY

April 26, 2022


https://www.investopedia.com/investing-in-pollution-control-and-waste-reduction-5220620?utm_campaign=quote-yahoo&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral


In 2021, 120 world leaders and more than 40,000 registered participants attended the United Nations Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26). For two weeks, discussions of the global climate crisis ruled the day. Discussions of current scientific trends, the range of potential solutions, and the priority of world leaders to act swiftly clearly showed that the climate crisis and the work of mitigating our negative impact on the environment are topics that all of humanity ought to be concerned about.1

From an investment perspective, the global policies under way to reduce carbon emissions and promote healthy communities is one that simply should not be ignored. Below, we will look at the myriad of ways that savvy investors are looking to align their portfolios with the work of those who are trying to make the world a better and healthier place to live, and building a globalist control grid over every aspect of life on the planet.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

From an investment perspective, the global policies under way to reduce carbon emissions and promote healthy communities should not be ignored.

The goal of many investors is to target investment dollars toward companies and opportunities that are working to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

Some may choose to buy shares of individual companies that are leading the way with innovative products and business models, while others may choose to invest in a diversified portfolio through the use of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Tackling Pollution at the Source

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution prevention is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source.2 Therefore, a natural goal of many investors is to target investment dollars toward companies and opportunities that are working to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases—more specifically, gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, the roots of most human emissions to cause warming since 1950.3

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Much of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere is a by-product of the burning of fossil fuels, solid wastes, trees, and other biological material. According to the EPA, the transportation sector generated 27% of 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, which was the most of any sector.4

At the COP26 conference in Glasgow, a group of governments, automakers, and others signed on to an agreement to transition to 100% zero-emission sales of new cars and vans by 2040.5 In the United States, globalist lackey President Biden signed an executive order that would target 50% of all new sales of passenger vehicles to have zero emissions by 2030.6

The global shift toward electric vehicles is one key theme that investors could look at when investing in pollution reduction. Manufacturers of electric vehicles, light detection and ranging sensors, batteries, and other critical inputs would be obvious choices for those looking to invest.

Electricity production produced approximately 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.4 Again, the shift toward alternative energy as a form of power is the primary focus of investors seeking to gain exposure to the long-term decline of carbon dioxide. Companies that specialize in energy derived from wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen, and perhaps even nuclear power could be areas of particular focus for investors over the years ahead.

Another sector that is a top contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions is commercial and residential real estate. Construction of the various forms of buildings, along with the heating and cooling needs of homes and businesses, are another major source of pollution. In 2020, direct greenhouse gas emissions from homes and businesses accounted for 13% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.4

Investors will look to technological leaders in heating, ventilation, and cooling because advancements in these areas will significantly reduce the environmental footprint of this segment. Related, investors likely also will look to innovators in the field of insulation, manufacturing of energy-efficient windows and doors, as well as lighting.

Waste Management and Recycling

With populations rising and the amount of refuse increasing, responsible handling, collection, and processing of waste are of growing importance. Investors have plenty of options in the public markets when it comes to companies that are leading the way toward a greener future in the areas of waste management and recycling. For example, Waste Management Inc. (WM) managed 143 recycling facilities and 244 active solid waste landfills. The company managed more than 15.5 million tons of recyclables in 2020, which was more post-consumer recyclables than anyone else in North America.7

Billionaires concerned with the environment, such as control freak Bill Gates, also know the important role that efficient waste management companies have in the global economy compared to the alternatives. On Feb. 24, 2022, Gates’s investment management company Cascade Investment LLC bought more shares of Republic Services (RSG) stock, making the firm the top holder with 109,812,574 shares.8

The two companies mentioned here are two of the largest companies in the industry based on market capitalization, but as mentioned above, there is a gamut of companies to choose from across the public markets. For example, there are companies that focus on effective hazardous waste removal, refuse disposal, maritime waste services, pharmaceutical waste services, and various forms of recycling, such as those that focus on lithium batteries.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

One strategy for identifying equities that are positioned toward a greener future is to look at the top holdings of a targeted exchange-traded fund (ETF), such as any of the 10 listed below. On the other hand, other investors—such as those who are looking for a diversified approach toward their investments—may simply choose to hold a position in one or more of the funds. All told, whatever the investment strategy, investors have many choices when it comes to gaining exposure to the reduction in pollution and effective waste management.

· VanEck Vectors Environmental Services ETF (EVX)

· iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN)

· Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT)

· Invesco Solar ETF (TAN)

· Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)

· ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES)

· Invesco Global Clean Energy ETF (PBD)

· VanEck Vectors Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG)

· First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN)

· SPDR Kensho Clean Power ETF (CNRG)


The Bottom Line

The shift toward a greener future is a top priority of many individuals, governments, and corporations around the world. Investors have many different routes to adding exposure to those working at reducing pollution and waste. Some may choose to buy shares of individual companies that are leading the way with innovative products and business models. Others may choose to invest in a diversified portfolio through the use of ETFs. Regardless of investment style and preference, pollution control and waste reduction deserve to be macro-level themes that are covered within any portfolio.

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US Ecology acquired - >>> Republic Services and US Ecology Announce Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Waiting Period for the Acquisition of US Ecology


Yahoo Finance

March 31, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/republic-services-us-ecology-announce-130400466.html


PHOENIX and BOISE, Idaho, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) and US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ECOL) announced today that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, which applies to the proposed acquisition by Republic Services of US Ecology, expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on March 30, 2022. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter, subject to approval by US Ecology's stockholders and satisfaction of the remaining conditions to closing.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the U.S. environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides superior service offerings while partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, visit RepublicServices.com, or follow us at Facebook.com/RepublicServices, @RepublicService on Twitter or Republic Services on LinkedIn.

About US Ecology

US Ecology is a leading provider of environmental services to commercial and government entities. The company addresses the complex waste management and response needs of its customers offering treatment, disposal, beneficial re-use, and recycling of hazardous, non-hazardous, radioactive and other specialty waste. US Ecology also provides a variety of vertically integrated field services including logistics and response at its customers in-field locations and through its network of 10-day transfer facilities. Logistics solutions include specialty waste packaging, collection lab pack, transportation, and total waste management. Response solutions include emergency response, oil spill response standby services, spill clean-up services, remediation, and industrial services. US Ecology's focus on safety, environmental compliance, and best-in-class customer service enables us to effectively meet the needs of US Ecology's customers and to build long lasting relationships. US Ecology has been protecting the environment since 1952.

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>>> Republic Services landfill near Pearland houses one of nation's largest renewable natural gas plants


By Chris Mathews

Houston Business Journal

Apr 25, 2022


https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2022/04/25/republic-services-morrow-energy-renewable-gas.html?ana=yahoo


They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and the adage rings loud and clear at a landfill gas-to-energy plant south of Houston.

The 1,700-acre Blue Ridge Landfill, operated by Phoenix-based Republic Services Inc. (NYSE: RSG) off FM 521 just west of Shadow Creek Ranch, handles around 6,500 tons of waste each day, said Operations Manager Zac Pedersen. Blue Republic Services collection trucks move about the landfill in continual motion throughout the man-made hills, unloading waste collected from across the Houston metro region.

As the trucks come and go, they pass by hundreds of extraction wells rising out of the capped, soil-covered areas of the landfill. Drilled between 30 and 65 feet into the matured portions of the landfill, around 550 wells capture methane, carbon dioxide and other gases that are piped to an on-site renewable natural gas plant operated by Midland, Texas-based Morrow Energy Inc.

"That trash will heat up [and] begin to decompose. At that point, the generation of methane begins," said Raymond Whitlock, environmental manager at Blue Ridge. "We jump on that proactively here."

One of around 550 gas extraction points drilled into the capped, mature portions of the Blue Ridge Landfill. These wells and vacuums capture methane, CO2 and other gases from the depths of the landfill to produce renewable natural gas.

Blue Ridge isn't your average landfill — it's also one of the largest of 77 landfill renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the nation, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. After separating methane from the unwanted portions of the landfill gas stream, most of that methane goes into RNG production instead of being flared off. The gas flow to Morrow Energy's plant at Blue Ridge Landfill is between 7,000 and 7,500 cubic feet per minute, said Morrow Energy founder and President Paul Morrow.

The RNG produced at Morrow's Blue Ridge Landfill plant eventually ends up as transportation fuel. Under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard program, refiners are required to reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel or replace petroleum fuel with certain volumes of renewable fuel, including the cellulosic biofuel produced at Blue Ridge.

"The key for the Renewable Fuel Standard is it has to end up on the road," Morrow said.

Some of the RNG goes to powering Republic's own fleet of compressed natural gas vehicles. Around 21% of the company's fleet operated on CNG at the end of 2021, Republic said in its latest annual report. Besides its use as a transportation fuel, RNG can be used in thermal applications, to generate electricity and as a bio-based feedstock.

Raymond Whitlock, environmental manager at Blue Ridge Landfill, greets one of the longhorns living near the landfill. Republic Services actively monitors for groundwater and methane leakage nearby.

Scaling trash-to-gas

In addition to landfills, other sources of RNG production include the degradation of manure and other organic matter on farms or other agricultural interests. The number of total landfill RNG and agricultural RNG projects in the U.S. has risen drastically over just the past few years, from 52 total projects in 2017 to 174 projects in 2021, according to the EPA.

But there are several barriers preventing RNG from scaling up as an even larger source of renewable fuels, including project availability and cost issues. Perhaps the biggest barrier to growth is the fact that there are a limited number of landfills and agricultural sites from which to capture methane needed to produce RNG, Morrow said.

"You're not going to accidentally discover a new landfill like you might a new oil and gas field," Morrow said. "We've got a lot to do, and most of the sites are going to be smaller and incrementally more challenging to do economically."

Developing a landfill RNG plant also takes a lot of money. Morrow Energy invested tens of millions of dollars to develop its Blue Ridge capabilities, Morrow said. Beyond the capital requirements to build and operate a landfill gas plant, RNG has to try to compete on pricing with natural gas, which has been difficult to do. Buyers have typically shied away from paying a premium for a greener gas option, opting instead for fossil fuel natural gas.

"We've had to try to live at spot prices. We've had times where we lost money for three years, years we've made a lot of money," Morrow said. "It's not real inducive to financial investment because of the ups and downs."

But given the drastic rise in global natural gas prices over the past year and the amount of investment focused on a clean energy transition, Morrow sees a more competitive market for RNG going forward.

"There's a lot more interest from people in this business, but there are very few people that have the experience to do it," Morrow said.

The Houston region is home to other large landfill RNG projects, including at the Coastal Plains Recycling and Disposal Facility in Alvin and Republic's McCarty Road landfill in Houston.

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Waste Management - >>> This Overlooked Stock Keeps Rewarding Shareholders


Motley Fool

By Tyler Crowe and Jason Hall

Apr 14, 2022


https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/04/14/this-overlooked-stock-keeps-rewarding-shareholders/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article


The management team is exceptional and offers a high return on equity.

When it comes to simple, well-run businesses, Waste Management (WM 1.98%) definitely fits the bill. In this video clip from "Ask Us Anything" on Motley Fool Live, recorded on March 25, Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Jason Hall discuss several of the company's key strengths that make it a safe investment for investors.

Tyler Crowe: One of the better ones in my portfolio, it would have to be Waste Management. When we're talking about business models, we're looking at one of the simplest, easiest, and a huge economic moat. Just basically the competitive things that it has going for it over its competition or new entrants is huge. Waste Management, very simple. They take out your trash, they put your trash in a landfill, they do some recycling, and that's about it. A majority of their revenue comes from basically tipping fees and service fees where basically it's collection from municipal facilities and things like that. It's a very consistent revenue stream. We're not going to stop taking out the trash.

A little economically sensitive, I guess you could say like a GDP up and down, maybe a slight recession. We'll see some minor declines, but it's certainly a business that isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and in terms of preserving capital, it's a great advantage. I think when we talk about competitive advantages or basically the ability to ward off other competitors that are in the market, new entrants coming in like that, just think of a landfill. How hard is it to get a landfill built, permitted, and all those things with the environmental regulations the, I guess what would you call it, getting past the town approvals or something like that in the not-in-my-backyard thing?

Jason Hall: Yeah, it's the NIMBYISM that things are great.

Tyler Crowe: If you can get past that and you have a landfill, it's basically a geographic monopoly in a region that you own and gives the trash or any waste in that area is going to you. You're going to get the tipping fees. Looking at it from the shareholder's side and the management team there, as much as they've done a great job, as much as my dog could be the CEO of Waste Management and they'd still make money, they are a good management team that has a high return on equity and reward shareholders consistently with buying back shares and a decent dividend to just manufacture additional growth for the shareholder. That to me is a definition of a very safe stock. It's a solid business, it isn't going anywhere. The management team that is looking out for shareholders.

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>>> Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (ARIS), an environmental infrastructure and solutions company, provides water handling and recycling solutions. The company's produced water handling business gathers, transports, unless recycled, and handles produced water generated from oil and natural gas production. Its water solutions business develops and operates recycling facilities to treat, store, and recycle produced water. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. <<<





>>> Hercules Capital, Inc. (HTGC) is a business development company. The firm specializing in providing venture debt, debt, senior secured loans, and growth capital to privately held venture capital-backed companies at all stages of development from startups, to expansion stage including select publicly listed companies and select special opportunity lower middle market companies that require additional capital to fund acquisitions, recapitalizations and refinancing and established-stage companies.

The firm provides growth capital financing solutions for capital extension; management buy-out and corporate spin-out financing solutions; company, asset specific, or intellectual property acquisition financing; convertible, subordinated and/or mezzanine loans; domestic and international corporate expansion; vendor financing; revenue acceleration by sales and marketing development, and manufacturing expansion. It provides asset-based financing with a focus on cash flow; accounts receivable facilities; equipment loans or leases; equipment acquisition; facilities build-out and/or expansion; working capital revolving lines of credit; inventory.

The firm also provides bridge financing to IPO or mergers and acquisitions or technology acquisition; dividend recapitalizations and other sources of investor liquidity; cash flow financing to protect against share price volatility; competitor acquisition; pre-IPO financing for extra cash on the balance sheet; public company financing to continue asset growth and production capacity; short-term bridge financing; and strategic and intellectual property acquisition financings. It also focuses on customized financing solutions, emerging growth, mid venture, and late venture financing.

The firm invests primarily in structured debt with warrants and, to a lesser extent, in senior debt and equity investments. The firm generally seeks to invest in companies that have been operating for at least six to 12 months prior to the date of their investment. It prefers to invest in technology, energy technology, sustainable and renewable technology, and life sciences.

Within technology the firm focuses on advanced specialty materials and chemicals; communication and networking, consumer and business products; consumer products and services, digital media and consumer internet; electronics and computer hardware; enterprise software and services; gaming; healthcare services; information services; business services; media, content and information; mobile; resource management; security software; semiconductors; semiconductors and hardware; and software sector.

Within energy technology, it invests in agriculture; clean technology; energy and renewable technology, fuels and power technology; geothermal; smart grid and energy efficiency and monitoring technologies; solar; and wind.

Within life sciences, the firm invests in biopharmaceuticals; biotechnology tools; diagnostics; drug discovery, development and delivery; medical devices and equipment; surgical devices; therapeutics; pharma services; and specialty pharmaceuticals. It also invests in educational services.

The firm invests primarily in United States based companies and considers investment in the West Coast, Mid-Atlantic regions, Southeast and Midwest; particularly in the areas of software, biotech and information services. The firm prefers to invest between $10 million to $250 million in equity per transactions. It invests generally between $1 million to $40 million in companies focused primarily on business services, communications, electronics, hardware, and healthcare services. The firm invests primarily in private companies but also have investments in public companies.

For equity investments, the firm seeks to represent a controlling interest in its portfolio companies which may exceed 25% of the voting securities of such companies. The firm seeks to invest a limited portion of its assets in equipment-based loans to early-stage prospective portfolio companies. These loans are generally for amounts up to $3 million but may be up to $15 million for certain energy technology venture investments. The firm allows certain debt investments have the right to convert a portion of the debt investment into equity. It also co-invests with other private equity firms. The firm seeks to exit its investments through initial public offering, a private sale of equity interest to a third party, a merger or an acquisition of the company or a purchase of the equity position by the company or one of its stockholders. The firm has structured debt with warrants which typically have maturities of between two and seven years with an average of three years; senior debt with an investment horizon of less than three years; equipment loans with an investment horizon ranging from three to four years; and equity related securities with an investment horizon ranging from three to seven years. The firm prefers to invest through its balance sheet capital.

The firm formerly known as Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. Hercules Capital, Inc. was founded in December 2003 and is based in Palo Alto, California with additional offices in Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; Westport, Connecticut; Elmhurst, Illinois; Santa Monica, California; McLean, Virginia; New York, New York; Radnor, Pennsylvania; and Washington, District of Columbia and London, United Kingdom.

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https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/HTGC/profile?p=HTGC

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>>> 10 Recycling Stocks to Buy Now


Insider Monkey

by Usman Kabir

March 30, 2022


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-recycling-stocks-buy-now-182403754.html


In this article, we discuss the 10 recycling stocks to buy now. If you want to read about some more recycling stocks to buy now, go directly to 5 Recycling Stocks to Buy Now.

The recycling industry is fast-emerging as one of the dominant market forces in the environmental sector. According to investment bank Stifel, the five largest recycling firms in the United States and Canada spent over $3.5 billion on mergers and acquisitions alone in 2021, beating the amount spent on consolidation in 2019. Solid waste firms, which comprise a part of the overall recycling industry, completed 95 mergers during the period, according to news platform Waste Dive that tracks recycling firms.

ESG, Government Spending Drive Recycling Forward

This industry consolidation is being fueled by concerns around a rise in the capital gains tax and recent reports that US President Biden might also move towards taxing unrealized gains. As countries around the world pledge to reduce their carbon emissions by 30% by the end of this decade, recycling firms have come under renewed focus on the international stage as well. ESG initiatives, becoming central to the finance world as well, are forcing large corporations to increase the use of reusable packaging in their products to more than 2%.

The US government is also ramping up spending in the recycling business. Under the Biden Jobs and Infrastructure Plan, approved earlier this year, $350 million have been set aside for municipal recycling improvements and upgrades to local waste systems, as well as battery recycling research. The funding is expected to be rolled out to local governments later this year. A Paycheck Protection Program is also expanding as the government increases the national recycling rate target to 50% by 2030.

Electric Vehicles, Tech-Related Waste Raise New Questions

The emergence of electric vehicles and other high-tech industries like quantum computing have led to questions about the environmental impact of consumer electronic goods. Recycling of EV batteries, one of the key components of futuristic vehicles, is already a thriving business. However, the collection and processing infrastructure for recycling, especially in the context of EVs, still has to scale up to meet demand. In addition, it has become harder for cities to innovate around new models as even basic services come harder to get by, indicative of larger political problems in both developed and non-developed economies.

Governments and businesses are nevertheless trying to incorporate new recycling goals to build a circular economy that benefits everyone. Lowering consumption and reducing waste, for the time being, remain the top priorities. Investors who are eager to jump aboard this boom for recycling should invest in established firms that have solid reputations and growth prospects. Some of the top recycling stocks to buy now include Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), among others discussed in detail below.

Our Methodology

The companies that operate in the recycling sector and are best positioned to gain in the coming months based on their business fundamentals and analyst ratings were selected for the list.

Data from around 900 elite hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey was used to identify the number of hedge funds that hold stakes in each firm.

Recycling Stocks to Buy Now


10. Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16

Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) provides regulated and compliance solutions. The firm primarily serves the healthcare industry in the United States and Europe. On March 23, RBC Capital analyst Sean Dodge kept an Outperform rating on the stock with a price target of $82, naming the stock as the "New Top Idea for 2022" in a bullish investor note that highlighted the "sustained organic revenue growth and margin expansion" for the firm that were offsetting near-term risks.

Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) shares have pulled back in the past few months and now seem attractively valued, per market experts like Dodge, given the capital allocation initiatives that the waste management firm has undertaken in relation to debt reduction and business or asset sales.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 16 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $472 million in Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL), compared to 17 in the previous quarter worth $516 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Ariel Investments is a leading shareholder in Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) with 4.2 million shares worth more than $253 million.

Just like Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRCL) is one of the stocks on the radar of institutional investors.

9. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) offers environmental services like the collection and processing of recyclable materials. The company has an impressive dividend history stretching back close to two decades. On February 10, it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, in line with previous. The forward yield was 1.46%. The dividend will be payable to shareholders by late March and early April.

On March 1, JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee reinstated coverage of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) stock with a Neutral rating and a price target of $135, noting that firms dealing in solid waste were generating strong margins and free cash flows.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 38 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $1.3 billion in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), up from 31 in the preceding quarter worth $1.2 billion.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm AQR Capital Management is a leading shareholder in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) with 1.6 million shares worth more than $228 million.

8. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) provides waste collection and recycling services. On March 1, JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee reinstated coverage of the stock with an Overweight rating and a price target of $147, highlighting that the firm had a “sustainable competitive advantage in its solid waste business, with a differentiated market positioning” that was focused on exclusive and secondary markets.

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) has a solid dividend history as well. It has paid a dividend to shareholders consistently for the past nineteen years and has grown the payout for the last four. It declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share in mid-February.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 36 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $1.5 billion in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN), up from 32 the preceding quarter worth $785 million.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) with 1.7 million shares worth more than $239 million.

7. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) provides waste management environmental services. In addition to materials processing and commodities recycling, the company also provides services such as the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties. On February 2, the firm posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, beating market estimates on earnings per share and revenue by $0.04 and $60 million respectively.

JPMorgan analyst Stephanie Yee has a Neutral rating on Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) stock with a price target of $153. In a recent investor note, the analyst said the firm was playing “catch up” amid rising inflationary costs but the outlook for the sector overall remained bright.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 35 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $4.1 billion in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), compared to 36 in the preceding quarter worth $3.6 billion.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Washington-based firm Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is a leading shareholder in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) with 18 million shares worth more than $3 billion.

6. Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29

Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) is a steel producer and metal recycler. The stock has gained in the past few weeks after steel supplies from Russia were disrupted as a result of the Ukraine war and the Western sanctions against Moscow, fueling a rally in steel prices and a boom for US-based steel producers. The company has also benefited from the recent easing of steel tariffs between the US and UK.

On March 24, JPMorgan analyst Michael Glick kept an Overweight rating on Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) stock and raised the price target to $117 from $95, noting that there was broad upside for the steel industry in the coming months.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Chicago-based investment firm Citadel Investment Group is a leading shareholder in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) with 1 million shares worth more than $66 million.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 29 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $390 million in Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD), up from 23 in the previous quarter worth $481 million.

Along with Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), and Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC), Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) is one of the stocks that hedge funds are monitoring.

5. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27

Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) provides environmental and industrial services. Elite hedge funds are bullish on the stock. Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, United Kingdom-based investment firm Impax Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) with 1.6 million shares worth more than $158 million.

On January 10, investment advisory Raymond James upgraded Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) stock to Strong Buy from Outperform and raised the price target to $125 from $120. Analyst Patrick Tyler Brown issued the ratings update.

4. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) is an integrated solid waste services firm. On February 22, Raymond James analyst Patrick Tyler Brown kept a Strong Buy rating on the shares with a price target of $92, underlining that the “landfill positioning and ongoing operational improvements offer sustainable organic opportunities to improve price and margins” for the firm despite pressures due to inflation.

Hedge funds have been loading up on Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) stock in recent months. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 25 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $173 million in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), up from 16 in the preceding quarter worth $106 million.

3. Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) is a business development firm that primarily invests in sustainable companies. Major hedge funds hold large stakes in the firm. Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Two Sigma Advisors is a leading shareholder in Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) with 759,700 shares worth more than $12.6 million.

On February 22, Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, reporting a net interest income of $0.35, beating estimates by $0.03. The total investment income over the period was $72.4 million, smashing estimates by $1.6 million.

2. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN) provides services related to the recycling of ferrous and nonferrous metal. On March 24, investment advisory KeyBanc upgraded the stock to Overweight from Sector Weight with a price target of $58. Analyst Philip Gibbs issued the ratings update.

1. Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 10

Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS) is an environmental infrastructure and solutions company. The company recently started paying a dividend. On February 25, it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share, an increase of more than 28% compared to the previous dividend of $0.07 per share. The forward yield was 2.54%. It also recently beat market estimates on revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Hedge funds hold bullish stakes in Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS). At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 10 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $72 million in Aris Water Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:ARIS).

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>>> Investing In Pollution Control and Waste Reduction


Investopedia

By CASEY MURPHY

March 09, 2022


https://www.investopedia.com/investing-in-pollution-control-and-waste-reduction-5220620?utm_campaign=quote-yahoo&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral


In 2021, 120 world leaders and over 40,000 registered participants attended the UN Change Conference in Glasgow Scotland (COP26). For two weeks, discussions of the global climate crisis ruled the day. Discussions of current scientific trends, the range of potential solutions, and the priority of world leaders to act swiftly clearly showed that the climate crisis and the work of mitigating our negative impact on the environment are topics that all of humanity ought to be concerned about.1 From an investment perspective, the global policies underway to reduce carbon emissions and to promote healthy communities is one that simply should not be ignored. In the article below we will look at the myriad of ways that savvy investors are looking to align their portfolios with the work of those who are trying to make the world a better and healthier place to live.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

From an investment perspective, the global policies underway to reduce carbon emissions and promote healthy communities should not be ignored.
The goal of many investors is to target investment dollars toward companies and opportunities that are working toward reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Some may choose to buy shares of individual companies that are leading the way with innovative products and business models, while others may choose to invest in a diversified portfolio through the use of exchange-traded funds.

Tackling Pollution at the Source

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution prevention is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source.2 Therefore, a natural goal of many investors is to target investment dollars toward companies and opportunities that are working toward reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. More specifically, gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases - the roots of most human emissions to cause warming since 1950.3

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Much of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere is a byproduct of the burning of fossil fuels, solid wastes, trees, and other biological material. According to the EPA, the transportation sector generated 27.1% of the 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, which was the most of any sector.4

At the COP26 conference in Glasgow, a group of governments, automakers and others signed on to an agreement to transition to 100% zero-emission sales of new cars and vans by 2040.56 In the United States, President Biden signed an executive order that would target 50% of all new sales of passenger vehicles to have zero emissions by 2030.7 The global shift toward electric vehicles is one key theme that investors could look at when investing in pollution reduction. Manufacturers of electric vehicles, light detection and ranging sensors, batteries, and other critical inputs would be obvious choices for those looking to invest.

Electricity production produced approximately 24.8% of the greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.4 Again, the shift toward alternative energy as a form of power is the primary focus of investors seeking to gain exposure to the long-term decline of carbon dioxide. Companies that specialize in energy derived from wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen, and perhaps even nuclear power could be areas of particular focus for investors over the years ahead.

Another sector that is a top contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions is commercial and residential real estate. The construction of the various forms of buildings along with the heating and cooling needs of homes and businesses are another major source of pollution. In 2020, direct greenhouse gas emissions from homes and businesses accounted for 13.2% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.8 Investors will look to the technological leaders in heating, ventilation, and cooling because advancements in these areas will significantly reduce the environmental footprint of this segment. Related, investors will also likely look to the innovators in the field of insulation, manufacturing of energy-efficient windows and doors, as well as lighting.

Waste Management and Recycling

With rising populations and the increased amount of refuse, responsible handling, collection, and processing of waste are of growing importance. Investors have plenty of options in the public markets when it comes to companies that are leading the way toward a greener future in the areas of waste management and recycling. For example, Waste Management Corp. (WM) managed 143 recycling facilities, and 244 active solid waste landfills. The company managed more than 15,500,000 tons of recyclables in 2020, which was more post-consumer recyclables than anyone else in North America.9

Billionaires who are concerned with the environment such as Bill Gates also know the important role that efficient waste management companies have in the global economy compared to the alternatives. On February 24, 2022, Bill Gates’s investment management company Cascade Investment, L.L.C. bought more shares of Republic Services (RSG) stock, making the firm the top holder with 109,812,574 shares.10

The two companies mentioned here are two of the largest companies in the industry based on market capitalization, but as mentioned above there is a gamut of companies to choose from across the public markets. For example, there are companies that focus on effective hazardous waste removal, refuse disposal, maritime waste services, pharmaceutical waste services, and various forms of recycling such as those that focus on lithium batteries.

ETFs

One strategy for identifying equities that are positioned toward a greener future is to look at the top holdings of a targeted exchange-traded fund such as any of the ten listed below. On the other hand, some other investors such as those who are looking for a diversified approach toward their investments may simply choose to hold a position in one or more of the funds. All told, whatever the investment strategy, investors have many choices when it comes to gaining exposure to the reduction in pollution and effective waste management.


· VanEck Vectors Environmental Services ETF (EVX)

· iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN)

· Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT)

· Invesco Solar ETF (TAN)

· Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)

· ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES)

· Invesco Global Clean Energy ETF (PBD)

· VanEck Vectors Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG)

· First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN)

· SPDR Kensho Clean Power ETF (CNRG)


The Bottom Line

The shift toward a greener future is a top priority of many individuals, governments, and corporations around the world. Investors have many different routes to adding exposure to those working at reducing pollution and waste. Some may choose to buy shares of individual companies that are leading the way with innovative products and business models, while others may choose to invest in a diversified portfolio through the use of exchange-traded funds. Regardless of investment style and preference, pollution control and waste reduction deserve to be macro-level themes that are covered within any portfolio.

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>>> Republic Services opens organics pre-processing facility in Northern California

Republic says the facility will help Bay Area communities meet the requirements of a new state diversion mandate.


Waste Today

April 26, 2021

by Haley Rischar


https://www.wastetodaymagazine.com/article/republic-organics-facility-northern-california/


Company news Facilities Organics Waste-to-Energy

Republic Services, Phoenix, has opened its first Northern California organics pre-processing facility, which the company says will help Bay Area communities meet the requirements of a new state law mandating diversion of food and yard waste from landfills.

The facility is designed to remove contamination from food waste collected from businesses in Contra Costa County and will produce clean organic material that is converted into renewable energy through a partnership with the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

"As a leader in the environmental services industry, Republic Services is committed to recovering key materials from the waste stream and providing diversion solutions for our customers," said Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability. "Organics is an emerging sector, especially in California, providing tremendous potential for us to both grow our business and strengthen the circular economy."

A state law (SB 1383) that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2022, will require every home and business in California to recycle their food and yard waste. More than 500 business customers participate in food waste recycling through the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority's RecycleSmart program, which delivers food waste to Republic's Martinez facility.

The new facility is capable of processing 20 tons of food waste per hour. It is Republic’s second organics pre-processing operation in the state, following the opening of the company’s first facility in Anaheim in 2018. Republic is also pursuing additional similar opportunities throughout the state.

"Republic Services has been a service provider for RecycleSmart for over 20 years, and they have always been innovative in their approach to recycling," said Ken Etherington, executive director of RecycleSmart. "We are very excited about Republic's new pre-processing line to advance recycling in the community."

After pre-processing, clean organic material is delivered to the East Bay Municipal Utility District's wastewater treatment facility in Oakland. Through anaerobic digestion, the organic waste is converted into biogas, which is used to generate electricity to power the treatment facility as well as operations at the neighboring Port of Oakland.

"This pre-processing model is anticipated to expand opportunities for EBMUD to receive more of this type of material and increase renewable energy production in the future," said John Hake, a senior civil engineer at the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

In 2020, Republic Services was named Organics Recycler of the Year by the National Waste & Recycling Association, a recognition of the company's innovation and leadership in diverting food and yard waste from landfills. According to the company, organics recycling directly supports Republic's sustainability goal to increase recovery of key materials from the waste stream by 40 percent by 2030.

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>>> 10 Best Recycling Stocks to Invest In


Insider Monkey

Fatima Farooq

July 7, 2021


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-best-recycling-stocks-invest-154348544.html


From investors to governments and companies, everyone today is worried about the planet's ever-growing waste management problem, and rightly so. One major source of this harmful pollution is single-use plastic, which can be dubbed the culprit for quite a lot of our pollution problems whether that be on land or in the sea. The UNEP has estimated that globally, about a million plastic bottles are bought every minute and about 5 trillion disposable plastic bags are used every year. All this plastic is also only used once and then discarded, with most people not considering the option to recycle. As such, humanity is finding itself on the verge of not only horrendous environmental pollution but borderline climate disaster.

With a growing focus on waste reduction and adequate waste management, everyone, including investors and financial advisors, is beginning to consider the waste reduction industry as a viable and important investment option. "The Future of Waste," a paper published by UBS in three parts, has tackled this topic with a focus on where waste comes from, how to reduce it, and how do companies and investors stand to benefit from this reduction. According to UBS, the waste sector is growing rapidly with municipal solid waste being one part of the market that was estimated to be worth $1.7 trillion in 2018.

Higher value-added treatment alongside an improvement in the collection of waste is also due to further increase the size of the industry in the near future. UBS also categorized about three sectors that investors should focus on in the waste management industry, made up of companies managing waste proactively, companies whose sole focus is on waste management, and engagement opportunities through equities and bonds in major companies with the potential to involve themselves in the industry.

The second sector, in particular, can be of interest to investors looking to invest in more environmentally-friendly stocks. UBS has estimated that the growing focus on the reduction of solid and energy waste is due to lead to an increase in the revenues of companies falling under the second category, with estimated market size of $2 trillion. As such, major waste managing companies such as Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), and Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) are set to become more lucrative investment opportunities in the coming years. Hence, we have compiled a list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

Investing is becoming difficult by the day, even for the smart money. The entire hedge fund industry is feeling the reverberations of the changing financial landscape. Its reputation has been tarnished in the last decade, during which its hedged returns couldn’t keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. On the other hand, Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 124 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and February 26th 2021 our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 197.2%, vs. 72.4% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by more than 124 percentage points (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that significantly underperformed the market. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 and they lost 13% through November 16th. That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

Without further ado, let's look at the 10 best recycling stocks to invest in. The stocks added to our list were selected on the basis of hedge fund popularity, analysts' ratings, fundamentals, and growth potential based on core business strengths.

10 Best Recycling Stocks to Invest In


10. US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 6

US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL) is a provider of environmental services to commercial and governmental entities in the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, and internationally. The company has three segments: Waste Solutions, Field Services, and Energy Waste. It ranks 10th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

On June 30th, US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL) announced an amendment to its previous credit agreement, extending the maturity date on the $500 million revolving facility for more financial flexibility. The new maturity date is now set for June 29th, 2026. In the first quarter of 2021, US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL) had an EPS of -$0.07, beating estimates by $0.03. The company's revenue was $228.62 million, beating estimates by $3.73 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 25.55%. The stock has gained 0.83% in the past 6 months and 6.88% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 6 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL) worth roughly $17.5 million. This is compared to 8 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $11.9 million.

Like Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), and Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), US Ecology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECOL) is a good recycling stock to invest in.


9. Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 8

Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) provides solutions for the reuse, recycling, and disposal of waste streams and recyclables in the US. The company offers disposal and recycling services for motor oil, oil filters, scrap tires, and other waste products. It ranks 9th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

On June 15th, Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) confirmed its acquisition of $2.5 million's worth of assets belonging to an Atlanta-based environmental services provider. In the first quarter of 2021, Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) had an EPS of $0.06, beating estimates by $0.06. The company's revenue was $35.10 million, up 38.57% year over year and beating estimates by $7.03 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 19.32%. The stock has gained 23.74% in the past 6 months and 187.87% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 8 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) worth roughly $12.19 million. This is compared to 7 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $7.76 million. Like Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), and Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) is a good recycling stock to invest in.


8. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) is a vertically integrated solid waste services company in the US. The company offers resource management services in solid waste collection, disposal, transfer, recycling, and other services. It ranks 8th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

In September, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) was upgraded to Buy by Stifel Nicolaus with a $60 price target with analyst Michael Hoffman seeming optimistic about the stock's market position in the Northeast where it offers a disposal capacity much needed in the region. In the first quarter of 2021, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) had an EPS of $0.09, beating estimates by $0.05. The company's revenue was $189.53 million, up 3.62% year over year and beating estimates by $0.66 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 34.17%. The stock has gained 5.59% in the past 6 months and 6.81% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 20 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) worth roughly $107 million. This is compared to 19 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $118 million. Like Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), and Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) is a good recycling stock to invest in.


7. Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21

Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) is a provider of waste and energy services to municipal entities in the US and internationally. The company owns infrastructure for the conversion of waste to energy and also operates in waste transport and disposal. It ranks 7th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

On June 9th, Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) gained in light of news that the company is considering the sale of its Environmental Solutions unit, after which Stifel retained its Buy rating on the stock with a $17 price target. Bank of America is also advising the company on the sale, which was in its second phase this June. In the first quarter of 2021, Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) had an EPS of $0.04, beating estimates by $0.23. The company's revenue was $498 million, up 6.41% year over year and beating estimates by $20.33 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 25.18%. The stock has gained 27.95% in the past 6 months and 35.16% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 21 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) worth roughly $180 million. This is compared to 21 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $148 million.


6. Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24

Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) is a provider of regulated and compliance solutions in the US, Europe, and internationally. The company offers waste disposal and recycling services and ranks 6th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

This May, Baird mentioned Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) as a specialty waste stock that outperformed others in the sector, and showed continuous progress. The firm commented that it expects a $100-plus upside, or a 30% upside for the stock in the coming years and that Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) is its "best idea" for this year. In the first quarter of 2021, Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) had an EPS of $0.71, beating estimates by $0.11. The company's revenue was $668 million, beating estimates by $19.87 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 40.03%. The stock has gained 29.09% in the past year.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 24 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) worth roughly $648 million. This is compared to 25 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $669 million.

Like Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM), Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), and Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) is a good recycling stock to invest in.

Nelson Capital Management, an investment management firm, mentioned Stericycle, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL) in its first-quarter 2021 investor letter. Here's what they said:

“Stericycle’s medical waste business was not performing well in the middle of a pandemic, partly because people have put off routine care and elective procedures. Additionally, disruptive new competition emerged with the development of in-office appliances that heat up medical waste using high temperatures that kill pathogens and shred sharps. The remains can be disposed of in regular trash after treatment . Lastly, despite a new management team and the offloading of lagging businesses, Stericycle’s performance still underwhelmed and we decided to seek better opportunities within the industrials sector.”


5. Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27

Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) is a provider of environmental and industrial services in North America. The company has two segments: Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen. It ranks 5th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

On June 19th, Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) acquired about $140 million’s worth of assets from Vertex Energy related to used motor oil collection and re-refinery. This May, Baird also mentioned Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) among the stocks that outperformed rivals in the waste management sector, and about this stock, in particular, the firm commented that the company is expected to see robust profitability in light of recent base oil pricing. The firm mentioned that the valuation of Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) was also attractive and had potential beat-and-raises. In the first quarter of 2021, Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) had an EPS of $0.42, beating estimates by $0.17. The company’s revenue was $808.15 million, beating estimates by $21.64 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 31.31%. The stock has gained 13.2% in the past 6 months and 24.09% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 27 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE: CLH) worth roughly $383 million. This is compared to 22 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $308 million.


4. Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) is a company providing waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services in the US and Canada. Its segments are Southern, Western, Eastern, Canada, Central, and Corporate. The company ranks 4th on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

This April, Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) was one of the stocks initiated with a Buy rating at Goldman Sachs in light of the firm considering the waste management sector one of the beneficiaries of environmental policy changes. Analyst Jerry Revich commented that Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) had a reasonable valuation. In the first quarter of 2021, Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) had an EPS of $0.70, beating estimates by $0.03. The company’s revenue was $1.4 billion, up 3.22% year over year and beating estimates by $17.20 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 40.12%. The stock has gained 15.61% in the past 6 months and 17.87% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 31 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN) worth roughly $822 million. This is compared to 35 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $626 million.


3. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) is a provider of waste management environmental services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. The company ranks 3rd on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

This May, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) was among the waste management stocks noted by Goldman Sachs as being reasonably valued and initiated at a Buy rating in light of the sector’s growth potential. The stock also rallied in light of its positive Q1 results. In the first quarter of 2021, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) had an EPS of $1.06, beating estimates by $0.05. The company’s revenue was $4.11 billion, up 10.27% year over year, also beating estimates by $76.54 million, and it has a gross profit margin of 38.94%. The stock has also gained 21.23% in the past 6 months and 24.31% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 32 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) worth roughly $3.29 billion. This is compared to 37 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $2.93 billion.


2. Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) is a provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, and environmental services in the US. The company ranks 2nd on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in.

Baird commented on Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), stating that the stock’s volume is expected to improve and the company should be able to bring in higher profitability. Goldman Sachs also initiated coverage of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) with a Buy rating this May. In the first quarter of 2021, Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) had an EPS of $0.93, beating estimates by $0.07. The company’s revenue was $2.60 billion, missing estimates by -$20.35 million but greater than the previous quarter’s $2.57 billion revenue and up 1.66% year over year. The company has a gross profit margin of 41.17% and the stock has gained 16.52% in the past 6 months and 19.44% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 36 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) worth roughly $1.07 billion. This is compared to 36 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $1.09 billion.


1. LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) is a distributor of replacement parts, components, and systems for the repair and maintenance of vehicles. The stock, despite not being a traditional recycling stock, ranks 1st on our list of the best recycling stocks to invest in because LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) recycles used autos to reduce landfill waste and provides cheaper alternatives to new car parts by promoting the reuse and recycling of older car parts.

This May, LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) acquired Green Bean Battery and its assets, aiding the company in its mission to be the leading provider of alternative parts for vehicle repair. In the first quarter of 2021, LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) had an EPS of $0.94, beating estimates by $0.31. The company’s revenue was $3.17 billion, beating estimates by $208.21 million and up 5.66% year over year, and it has a gross profit margin of 39.67%. The stock has gained 32.75% in the past 6 months and 41.85% year to date.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, 36 hedge fund holders out of the 866 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) worth roughly $1.54 billion. This is compared to 50 hedge funds in the previous quarter, with a total stake value of $1.61 billion.

Bonsai Partners mentioned LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ) in its first-quarter 2021 investor letter. Here’s what they said:

“LKQ is the largest provider of alternative collision and mechanical automotive parts in the United States. In Europe, they are the leading distributor of general automotive maintenance parts and supplies. Its shares appreciated 20.1% during the quarter.

During the quarter, LKQ shared its fourth-quarter results: showing a slight revenue decline and a nearly 30% increase in quarterly profit Vs. the same period last year. COVID has proved a surprising catalyst for my investment thesis which revolves around optimizing their recent large acquisitions that were never efficiently integrated.

Admittedly, in addition to LKQ’s quarterly performance, thematically, there has been broad enthusiasm for “re-opening” trades, of which, LKQ has been a beneficiary. Most importantly, the prior overhang related to LKQ’s debt burden is now all but behind us. Their net debt to EBITDA ratio now sits below 2x, a stark change from the near 3x leverage ratio before the pandemic. At that time, LKQ’s leverage had the potential to spiral upward to nearly 4-5x if the business experienced a prolonged shutdown. It’s good to be past this issue.”

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>>> GFL Environmental Inc. (GFL) operates as a diversified environmental services company in Canada and the United States. The company offers non-hazardous solid waste management, infrastructure and soil remediation, and liquid waste management services. Its solid waste management business line includes the collection, transportation, transfer, recycling, and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste for municipal, residential, and commercial and industrial customers. The company's infrastructure and soil remediation business line provides remediation of contaminated soils, as well as complementary services, including civil, demolition, and excavation and shoring services. Its liquid waste management business collects, manages, transports, processes, and disposes of a range of industrial and commercial liquid wastes, as well as resells liquid waste products. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Vaughan, Canada.

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>>> Waste Pro USA, Inc. Announces Closing of $105.2 million Florida Development Finance Corporation Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds


Yahoo Finance

June 8, 2021


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/waste-pro-usa-inc-announces-220400942.html?.tsrc=fin-srch


LONGWOOD, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Waste Pro USA, Inc. ("Waste Pro"), a regional privately-held provider of non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services, announced today that it has completed the sale of $105,175,000 Florida Development Finance Corporation ("FDFC") Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds (Waste Pro USA, Inc. Project), Series 2021 (the "Bonds").

The Bonds, which bear a 3.000% coupon for approximately 11 years, were priced at 104.584, with aggregate proceeds of approximately $110.0 million, to yield 2.375%. The Bonds will mature on June 1, 2032, and are guaranteed by certain subsidiaries of Waste Pro, pursuant to the terms of the indenture relating to the Bonds.

"I am pleased by the investment community's continued confidence in Waste Pro's financial strength and future growth," stated Cort Sabina, Chief Financial Officer of Waste Pro. "This transaction, which was 9x oversold, marked our third tax-exempt bond offering. In 2017, the company completed a two-state $50.0 million tax-exempt bond offering consisting of the $32.5 million FDFC Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds together with the $17.5 million Mississippi Business Finance Corporation Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds. In 2019, the company completed the sale of an additional $46.5 million FDFC Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds. In addition to the tax-exempt bond offerings, Waste Pro completed a $500 million private offering in 2018."

"The financial stewardship of our privately-owned company provides a stable platform for the long-term. Our company has grown from a single truck in 2001 to over 3,100 trucks today and revenues exceeding $790 million," added Sean Jennings, Chief Executive Officer of Waste Pro.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. served as the bookrunner and senior manager and Wells Fargo Securities LLC served as the co-manager for the Bonds. John Ruth of CTBH Partners LLC served as financial advisor to Waste Pro. Greenberg Traurig, P.A. served as counsel to Waste Pro.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Bonds, nor shall there be any sale of the Bonds in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Waste Pro USA, Inc.

Waste Pro is one of the country's fastest growing privately owned waste collection, recycling, processing and disposal companies, operating in nine southeastern states. Waste Pro serves more than two million residential and 40,000 commercial customers from over 90 operating locations. Waste Pro is headquartered in Longwood, Florida, and maintains more than 250 exclusive municipal contracts and franchises.

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>>> There's Nothing Trashy About This Company

Waste Management's dominance in its market could allow for continued success in the trash business.


Motley Fool

Jamie Louko

Aug 26, 2021


https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/08/26/theres-nothing-trashy-about-this-company/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article


Waste Management dominates the North American waste business.

A talented, veteran management team and huge competitive advantages keep this trash hauler at the top of the heap.

Rivals might exploit Waste Management's grimy image to take its market share.


Humans will likely never stop throwing things away -- and Waste Management (NYSE:WM) will be there to pick it up. This North American company collects, transfers, stores, and recycles a large portion of the U.S. and Canada's trash. Its market share and financial position, combined with sustained demand from consumers, make a business that will likely stick around and continue to pay out its shareholders for many years to come.

Unwavering financial position

Waste Management was able to perform well during the second quarter, flexing its strong market share. The company grew revenue by 25.7%, primarily driven by an increase in volume -- how much trash it hauled -- of 9.6%. Either it's gaining market share, or society is making more trash; both are good signs for Waste Management. It also grew operating income by 50%, resulting in GAAP earnings growth of 15% to $0.83 per share.

As one of the biggest and best trash collectors, Waste Management seems likely to continue this strong performance. In 2020, it managed 26% of all the landfill volume in the United States, trailing only municipalities -- meaning every single town and city in the United States, combined. Its main competitor, Republic Services (NYSE:RSG), had just 19% of the landfill volume last year.

After acquiring Advanced Disposal in October of 2020, Waste Management now commands an even greater share of landfill volume in the U.S. The two businesses combined reached 31% market share in 2020. In just two quarters, Advanced Disposal has contributed $597 million in revenue to Waste Management -- representing 7% of the company's total revenue in that period -- solidifying Waste Management's dominant position in the industry.

Investors will continue to collect

The trash business has surprisingly high barriers to entry for any competitor aiming to disrupt the market. In the second quarter, Waste Management reported that it owns $14 billion in property and equipment. Any start-up in a low-margin, boring industry like this would take a long time to gather even half that much in landfills and disposal trucks. Waste Management has been accumulating useful assets and market power since the late 60s, giving it a huge head start on any would-be new rivals.

That strong competitive position has helped Waste Management reward shareholders nicely. In the second quarter, it projected between $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion in free cash flow (FCF) for the full year of 2021, part of which will fund $850 million in additional share repurchases for the rest of the year. The business has also repaid over $2 billion in debt so far this year, which should have investors jumping for joy.

Even if investors aren't fond of trash, Waste Management's leaders seem to care a lot about it. All three top executives made their way up the ladder, holding numerous roles within the business before marking their way to the C-suite. Combined, the CEO, COO, and CFO have spent 59 years managing trash for Waste Management.

At 57, CEO James Fish still has plenty of years to grow the company -- with nine other current executives younger than him, all of whom have enough experience to feasibly succeed him. And these young but experienced managers help the company score rave Glassdoor ratings from its rank-and-file employees: 3.7 stars out of 5, and 82% approval of the CEO.

A high price for rubbish

If this business has one garbage trait, it's the valuation. Waste Management trades at 25.3x management's estimated FCF for the full year of 2021, and 40x current trailing-12-month earnings -- a steep price for a trash business guiding for mid-teens long-term revenue growth.

Sustainably focused competitors could also leave Waste Management and its investors down in the dumps. Environmental groups and the media tend to dump Waste Disposal off their list of sustainable businesses. But Waste Management has made recent efforts to shift toward sustainability. As of November 2020, the company had 50% of its trash-truck fleet running on compressed natural gas, with 20% running on renewable natural gas -- including methane harvested from its own landfills. It also uses many of those dumps, their land, and/or the gases leaching from all that buried trash to generate renewable energy.

Despite all of these efforts, the waste industry typically gets tarred with a dirty image. A preexisting competitor like Republic Services could shift its focus and its marketing toward sustainability and lure away WM's customers. Rivals like Waste Pro or GFL -- which are already focused on sustainable trash disposal and transportation -- could pose a similar threat.

Waste Management has been the industry leader since 1982, and its management team is not showing any signs of stopping. This garbage business has derived an astounding financial performance from its market position and strong competitive advantages. With all these factors in the bag, Waste Management could continue innovating and dominating the garbage industry for the next 20 years.

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>>> Republic Services Raises Full-Year Guidance Again as Second-Quarter Results Better Than Expected


Morningstar

by Brian Bernard, CFA, CPA

Jul 30, 2021


https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/xnys/rsg/quote


Wide-moat rated Republic Services reported strong second-quarter results as its end markets continue to recover. Revenue increased almost 15% year over year as the firm benefited from strong pricing, a significant rebound in volume, favorable recycled commodity prices, and acquisitions. Core price increased 5.2% during the second quarter, compared with 4.3% last quarter and 4.7% during the year-ago quarter. While volume had an easy prior-year comparison due to the pandemic (second quarter 2020 volume was down over 7%), the 8% year-over-year volume gain during the quarter exceeded management's expectations.

Republic Services' recycling operations contributed 100 basis points to revenue growth as recycled commodity prices increased 68% year over year to $170 per ton. Finally, the company has spent $567 million on acquisitions so far during 2021, which accounted for 200 basis points of revenue growth during the second quarter. Management said the firm has a full acquisition pipeline, and "well over" $600 million is earmarked for acquisitions in 2021. Republic Services' adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 110 basis points to 30.6% primarily due to strong pricing and operating leverage. Favorable recycled commodity prices accounted for 50 basis points of EBITDA margin improvement.

After a strong second quarter performance, management raised its full-year adjusted EPS and free cash flow guidance. Adjusted EPS is expected to range between $4.00 and $4.05 ($3.74-$3.79 previously), and revised adjusted free cash flow guidance is now $1.450 billion-$1.475 billion ($1.350 billion-$1.400 billion previously). After reviewing Republic Services' second-quarter results and revised 2021 outlook, we're maintaining our $85 per share fair value estimate.

Business Description

Republic Services ranks as the second- largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating roughly 186 active landfills and more than 200 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets. It also runs a sizable recycling operation in North America.

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>>> 3 Stocks to Watch Out For From the Prospering Waste Management Industry


Zacks

by Sanjana Goswami

August 23, 2021


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-stocks-watch-prospering-waste-134001352.html


With proper disposal of medical waste being a major concern for several countries across the globe amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Zacks Waste Removal Services industry stands to benefit from the current scenario. Government initiatives for sustainable waste management, increasing environmental awareness, rising population, rapid industrialization and urbanization, and growing adoption of advanced waste collection solutions are the other positives for the space.

Waste Management, Inc. WM, Republic Services, Inc. RSG and Clean Harbors, Inc. CLH are some stocks that are likely to gain from the abovementioned factors.

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>>> Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) provides consulting and engineering services worldwide. The company operates through Government Services Group (GSG) and Commercial/International Services Group (CIG) segments. The GSG segment offers early data collection and monitoring, data analysis and information technology, science and engineering applied research, engineering design, construction management, and operations and maintenance services; and climate change and energy management consulting, as well as greenhouse gas inventory assessment, certification, reduction, and management services. This segment serves federal, state, and local governments, and development agencies in water resources analysis and water management, environmental monitoring, data analytics, government consulting, waste management, and a range of civil infrastructure master planning and engineering design markets. The CIG segment provides early data collection and monitoring, data analysis and information management, feasibility studies and assessments, science and engineering applied research, engineering design, construction management, and operations and maintenance services. This segment serves natural resources, energy, and utilities markets, as well as civil infrastructure master planning and engineering design markets. Tetra Tech, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California.

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WM, RSG - >>> Bill Gates - Investment portfolio -


Microsoft -------------------------- (26.6 Bil)
Republic Services -------------- (11.9 Bil)
Deere ------------------------------- (10.2 Bil)
Canadian Natl Railroad -------- (9.6 Bil)
Ecolab ------------------------------ (6.5 Bil)
Fomento Economico ----------- (2.4 Bil)
Waste Management ------------- (2.3 Bil)
Diageo ------------------------------ (1.8 Bil)
AutoNation ------------------------ (1.5 Bil)
Sika ---------------------------------- (1.4 Bil)
Arch Capital ----------------------- (1.3 Bil)
Grupo Televisa -------------------- (446 mil)
Liberty Global --------------------- (241 mil)
Fomento de Construcy Contra - (200 mil)
Western Assets Infl-link OPPS - (177 mil)
Otter Tail ------------------------------ (172 mil)
Coca Cola ---------------------------- (133 mil)
Orascom Construction ---------- (33 mil)

Coca Cola Femsa - (130 mil) (All went to Melinda)


Private Companies -
************************

Convoy Inc
Ginkgo Bioworks
Delos Living LLC
CoGen Lyondell Power Generation Facility
Signature Aviation PLC
268,984 Acres of land (largest private farmland owner in the US)

Four Seasons - (3.4 Bil) (47.5% stake bought in 2007, Saudi prince owns the rest)


https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-bill-gates-melinda-french-gates-divorce-fortune-split/?srnd=premium

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>>> Stericycle, Inc. Resolves EPA Investigation in Utah


Yahoo Finance

January 29, 2021


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stericycle-inc-resolves-epa-investigation-201200941.html


Company will pay civil penalty and provide funds to local school district to purchase new, efficient school buses to reduce pollution and protect the environment

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Stericycle, Inc. today announced it has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to settle a civil investigation into alleged air emission exceedances at its North Salt Lake, Utah, incineration facility that occurred more than seven years ago between September 2012 and May 2013.

As part of the settlement, Stericycle will contribute $2 million to support a Supplemental Environmental Project to replace older, higher-emitting school buses in the Davis County School District and will pay a civil penalty of $600,000 to the United States government. Since vehicles are one of the leading causes of air pollution, the Supplemental Environmental Project will improve air quality in the area and aligns with Stericycle's core purpose of protecting people, promoting health and safeguarding the environment.

The settlement with EPA follows an administrative settlement with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which conducted its own investigation into the alleged exceedances and issued a Notice of Violation in 2014, the first and only citation for an emissions violation experienced in the facility's history.

Stericycle previously elected to cease incineration operations at the facility and relocate to a more suitable site. While incineration will cease in July 2022, this site will continue to be owned and operated by Stericycle as a collection and transportation facility.

Since 2014, the company has implemented a number of improvements at the facility, including new air pollution control equipment that has lowered emission levels beyond the already stringent limits for Hospital, Medical, Infectious Waste Incinerators. Results from two separate, independent Utah Department of Health studies have demonstrated that emissions from the facility present no health risk to the surrounding community.

Stericycle, under new leadership, has aggressively pursued improvements to its compliance program over the past several years across the entire company, including significant investments in team member training programs, new facility equipment, the development of expanded standard operating procedures, internal and external auditing programs, and other tools for environmental compliance management.

Stericycle is thankful that this matter has been concluded and looks forward to continuing to support the healthcare community in the greater Salt Lake region.

About Stericycle

Stericycle, Inc., (Nasdaq: SRCL) is a U.S. based business-to-business services company and leading provider of compliance-based solutions that protects people, promotes health and safeguards the environment. Stericycle serves customers in the U.S. and 17 countries with solutions for regulated waste and compliance services, secure information destruction and patient engagement. For more information about Stericycle, please visit www.stericycle.com.

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Waste Connections (WCN) - >>> A recession won't hurt this company


https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/10/31/worried-about-a-stock-market-crash-buy-these-reces/


Waste Connections' (NYSE:WCN) business makes it one the best recession-proof stocks you could find. It's simple: Whether boom or recession, we don't stop generating trash, keeping a trash-management company like Waste Connections almost always busy. As evidence, despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting business because of lockdown, Waste Connections projected 2020 revenue to be $5.33 billion last quarter, down barely 1% from 2019. It expects to generate operating cash flow worth $1.6 billion at the midpoint this year.

Thanks to the resiliency of its revenue and cash flow, Waste Connections has consistently returned a good chunk of its cash flow to shareholders in the form of dividends. Last October, it increased its dividend by a good 15.9%, marking its ninth consecutive year of dividend increases. "The Board intends to review the quarterly dividend each October, with a long-term objective of increasing the amount of the dividend," said the press release. By the time this article is published, I believe Waste Connections should've already announced its tenth annual dividend increase.

Management's goal to not just pay but increase its dividend in the long run should ring in bountiful returns for shareholders like in the past. Not many know about Waste Connections' incredible stock performance: With reinvested dividends, the stock has gained a whopping 522% in the past decade, hugely outperforming industry leader Waste Management. While past performance doesn't guarantee future returns, the durability and resiliency of Waste Connections' dividends, even during tough times, is indisputable.

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Waste Management - >>> 3 Recession-Ready Stocks to Buy Right Now


https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/10/29/3-recession-ready-stocks-to-buy-right-now/


Waste Management

Top industrial stocks tend to be cyclical in nature, ebbing and flowing with the broader economy. This is somewhat true for Waste Management, which relies heavily on the commercial and industrial sectors for its revenue. However, Waste Management's diversified business model makes it well prepared for a recession.

Despite a challenging business environment, Waste Management's revenue fell just 4.6% in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019. The company expects to finish the year with revenue down 4% to 5% and free cash flow to be $2 billion, which is plenty to cover the company's dividend payment of about $900 million.

The company attributes this relatively small decline to its "diverse and largely non-correlated customer base [which] creates recession resistance." Like Clorox, Waste Management pays a sizable and growing dividend. Its goal is to use 40% to 50% of its free cash flow for dividends, which it's on track to do this year. Waste Management has grown its dividend for 17 consecutive years and yields 1.9% at the time of this writing.

A risk-averse trio with income and growth

Clorox, Adobe, and Waste Management are a good basket of stocks if you're worried about a recession. Clorox and Waste Management provide stable and growing dividends during good and bad times. Clorox is the safest stock on the list. What it lacks in growth is made up for by Adobe, which grants exposure to tech, but through a subscription model that is likely to perform well even during a recession. Waste Management gives exposure to the industrial sector, but without the typical cyclicality. Each stock looks to be a good investment on its own, but they are arguably even stronger as a basket.

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>>> Waste Management - 25 Stocks Every Retiree Should Own


Kiplinger

https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t052-s001-the-25-stocks-every-retiree-should-own/index.html


Market value: $49.0 billion
Dividend yield: 1.9%

Waste Management (WM, $115.29) does the dirty work for us.

You and I don’t really want to think about our trash once we leave it at the curb or toss it down the chute. That’s exactly why waste collection and processing is big business, and will be, regardless of the state of the economy – people generate a lot of garbage no matter what. And industry leader Waste Management takes it a way.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Waste Management has a diversified customer base of more than 21 million residential and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada. No customer accounts for more than 2% of revenue.

This also is a green company – a critical political issue in recent years. WM operates 103 recycling facilities and 130 landfill gas-to-energy facilities. Roughly 8,700 of Waste Management’s 14,500 routed trucks run on alternative energy, and the company operates 123 natural gas fueling stations. This isn’t just good PR; recycling makes up 7% of revenues.

The stock currently pays a sub-2% yield, but the dividend grows consistently, and a low payout ratio means there’s room for that to continue. That, and the future-proof business model, makes Waste Management a gem of a retirement stock.

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Republic Services (RSG) - >>> Non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, and environmental services provider Republic Services RSG carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Though the company’s earnings are likely to be down 5.4% in 2020 due to the pandemic-induced significant reduction in service levels, the figure is anticipated to rise 10.9% next year with the resumption of operations. The company will benefit from continuous investments toward operational efficiency and enhancement of customer experience in the days to come.

Acquisitions are Republic Services’ favorite mode of improving its market position and growing cash. The company has already invested $124 million, which is expected to grow to $600-$650 million by the end of this year. Markedly, estimates for the ongoing year moved 12.1% north in the past two months.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/4-top-stocks-recuperating-business-124512949.html

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Waste Connections (WCN) - >>> Take out the trash -- and add it to your portfolio


Motley Fool


https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/09/19/with-oil-crashing-again-these-3-stocks-are-buys/


Scott Levine - Waste Connections - Serving more than 7 million customers, Waste Connections dubs itself the "premier provider of solid waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services in mostly exclusive and secondary markets across the U.S. and Canada."

Over the past 10 years, Waste Connections has risen steadily. What has delighted investors over the past decade and led them to pick up shares of Waste Connections? For one, the company has demonstrated proficiency at growing both the top and bottom lines. While Waste Connections reported revenue of $1.3 billion and net income of $135 million in 2010, the company has consistently grown both metrics, resulting in it reporting sales and net income of $5.4 billion and $567 million, respectively, in 2019. The cash flow statement also demonstrates the company's adeptness at finding the treasure in others' trash. Over the past 10 years, Waste Connections has increased its operating cash flow from $328 million to $1.54 billion, representing an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.8%. Similarly, the company has also excelled at generating free cash flow, increasing it from $194 million to $874 million -- a CAGR of 18.2%.

It's not only the company's past performance that is encouraging; management's guidance for 2020 -- though slightly lower than 2019 -- demonstrates the company's resilience to the headwinds that the global pandemic presented. Waste Connections forecasts 2020 revenue of $5.3 billion, flat compared to 2019, and operational cash flow of about $1.36 billion -- approximately 1.2% below the $1.5 billion it reported last year.

Volatility in the oil market will likely remain in the near term, especially considering OPEC's recent downward revision of its 2020 and 2021 forecasts. Unlike the ups and downs that commodity-related businesses exhibit, waste collection is steady and not subject to the whims of the market and oil stocks, making Waste Connections a compelling choice for investors looking to avoid market turbulence.

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>>> Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST), together with its subsidiaries, operates as a vertically-integrated solid waste services company in the northeastern United States. The company operates through Eastern Region, Western Region, Recycling, and Other segments. It offers resource management services primarily in the areas of solid waste collection and disposal, transfer, recycling, and organics services to residential, commercial, municipal, and industrial customers. The company provides a range of non-hazardous solid waste services, including collections, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, and disposal facilities. It also markets recyclable metals, aluminum, plastics, and paper and corrugated cardboard that are processed at its facilities, as well as recyclables purchased from third parties. In addition, the company is involved in commodity brokerage operations. As of January 31, 2020, it owned and/or operated 43 solid waste collection operations, 58 transfer stations, 20 recycling facilities, 8 Subtitle D landfills, 4 landfill gas-to-energy facilities, and 1 landfill permitted to accept construction and demolition materials. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Rutland, Vermont.

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>>> Trash Is King: 3 Medical Waste Stocks Worth a Look

The surge in COVID-19 cases certainly hasn't hurt the medical waste industry.


Motley Fool

by Jim Halley

Jul 4, 2020


https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/07/04/trash-is-king-3-medical-waste-stocks-worth-a-look.aspx


Medical waste was already a booming business before COVID-19, but the surge in coronavirus cases may accelerate the situation. Much of the personal protection equipment (PPE) that healthcare workers use has to be thrown away as medical waste.

A Stratistics MRC report says that medical waste is expected to grow into an $18.9 billion market by 2024. U.S. hospitals alone produce more than 5 million tons of medical waste a year, according to Practice Greenhealth.


Stericycle (NASDAQ:SRCL), Waste Management (NYSE:WM), and Suez SA (OTC:SZEV.Y) are three of the bigger players that should benefit from that growth. While the overall business of medical waste may be down a bit over the past four months because many elective medical procedures have been postponed by the coronavirus-related shutdown, it's about to make a big jump again. As more people begin going back to their regular doctors and dentists, sterilization procedures are being increased and that likely means there will be more medical waste to dispose of.

It's a complicated business. Unlike regular waste, much medical waste must be decontaminated using either an autoclave, which uses high-temperature pressurized steam, or through incineration. Federal and state regulations regarding medical waste mean that companies that dispose of it have to track that disposal as well.

Waste Management is the top of the heap

Waste Management, based in Houston, is the biggest waste management company in the country and is about to get bigger by acquiring Advanced Disposal Services (NYSE:ADSW). Waste Management owns 244 solid-waste landfills and five hazardous waste landfills and has contracts to collect residential and industrial trash. It also has a whole division dedicated to medical and pharmaceutical waste.

Last year, the company had revenue of $15.4 billion, a 3.6% improvement over 2018. Its first-quarter report shows that its business was hardly affected by the coronavirus because its diversity insulated it from shutdowns. You may have noticed that your trash collectors kept coming to your curb. In the first quarter, Waste Management reported revenue of $3.7 billion, up 7% over the same period year to year, and net income of $361 million, up 4% over the same quarter in 2019.

It may still be a good time to buy the stock. While it is up more than 14% over the past three months, it is down more than 7% year-to-date. The company also has a decent quarterly dividend of $0.545 per share, which it raised this year for the 17th consecutive year. The startup costs associated with waste management place a significant barrier to potential competitors, giving Waste Management a moat of protection -- especially from those companies that don't have 45,000 employees and five consecutive years of revenue growth.


Stericycle is riding a surge of sterilization

Stericycle, based in Lake Forest, Ill., is No. 4 in the U.S. waste-management space, and the bulk of its business is in medical waste. The company's share price is up more than 19% over the past year and 15% over the past three months.

Last year, the company reported that $2 billion -- well more than half of its $3.3 billion revenue for the year -- came from its regulated compliance waste services, which included medical and pharmaceutical waste services and compliance programs.

While most of the company's divisions were down in the first quarter because of the coronavirus pandemic, the regulated waste and compliance services sector did well. In the first-quarter earnings call, CEO Cindy Miller said the division had organic revenue growth of 3.3%.


Suez SA is more than just drinking water

Suez SA, based in France, is the largest private supplier of clean water in the world.

However, medical waste is also a big part of the company's business. Since the coronavirus broke out, Suez has played a more active part in the treatment of medical waste from COVID-19 in France, the Netherlands, and China. In France, the company has seven facilities equipped to treat biomedical waste.

Management noted that at one facility outside Paris, the amount of medical waste it has received has increased 50% during the coronavirus. In the Netherlands, Suez services processes the medical waste from 50 hospitals and healthcare companies and says it has seen a nearly 50% rise in waste during the pandemic, mostly from PPE that has been contaminated. In China, where the company operates a waste plant in Nangtong, Suez said it disposed more than 660 pounds of medical waste a day in February and March.

The company's share price is down more than 23% year to date but up more than 16% in the past three months. Organic revenue for the first quarter was up only slightly, 0.5%, because the pandemic negatively affected much of the company's business. However, its environmental tech and solutions segment, which includes medical waste, saw revenue rise 2.9%, year over year.

Taking the long view on all three

Even before COVID-19 hit, medical waste management was considered a growth trend because of aging populations and increases in medical procedures. All three of these companies appear to be solid choices for these reasons.

The most secure bet of the three is probably Waste Management. Because of its sheer size, it has a economies of scale that the other two can't match, plus it is the only one of the three companies that offers a dividend. I also like Suez because its combination of water treatment and waste treatment will provide a lot of potential business for the company, particularly in developing nations. Stericycle is a more direct play in medical waste and it presents the most risk of the three, but also potentially the best upside over the coming year as elective surgeries begin to tick back up.

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>>> Environmental Services Stocks -


US News

https://money.usnews.com/investing/stocks/environmental-services


The environmental services sector includes companies that offer services to collect and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Their services can range from the removal of toxic waste from soil to removing medical waste. Companies in this sector also operate incinerators, waste treatment plants, landfills and sewerage systems.


Sharps Compliance Corp.
SMED

Sharps Compliance Corp. engages in the provision of healthcare waste management services including medical, pharmaceutical, and hazardous. It focuses on developing management solutions for medical waste and unused dispensed medications generated by small and medium quantity generators. The company was founded in November 1992 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.


Evoqua Water Technologies Corp
AQUA

Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of water treatment solutions. It operates through the Integrated Solutions and Services and Applied Product Technologies business segments. The Integrated Solutions and Services segment focuses on engaging directly with end users. The Applied Product Technologies segment develops product platforms to be sold primarily through third party channels. The company was founded on October 7, 2013 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.


Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc.
PESI

Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. is a nuclear services company which provides nuclear and mixed waste management services. The company operates its business through three segments: Treatment, Services and Medical. The Treatment segment includes nuclear, low-level radioactive, mixed hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, processing and disposal services primarily through four uniquely licensed and permitted treatment and storage facilities. The Services segment includes on-site waste management services to commercial and government customers, technical services and nuclear services. The Medical segment includes R&D costs for the new medical isotope production technology from its majority-owned Polish subsidiary, PF Medical. Perma-Fix Environmental Services was founded by Louis F. Centofanti in December 1990 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.


Stericycle Inc.
SRCL

Stericycle, Inc. engages in the provision of waste management services. It operates through the following segments: North America RWCS, International RWCS and Domestic CRS. The North America RWCS Segment manages medical and pharmaceutical waste disposal, hazardous wastes, and unused and expired inventory. The International RCS segment includes patient transport services. The Domestic Communication and Related Services segment consists of inbound/outbound communication, automated patient reminders, online scheduling, notifications, product retrievals, product returns, and quality audits. The company was founded in March 1989 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, IL.


Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
CWST

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. is a solid waste services company, which engages in the provision of resource management and services to residential, commercial, municipal and industrial customers, primarily in the areas of solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling and organics services. It operates through the following segments: Eastern Region, Western Region, Recycling and Other segments. The Eastern region segment is vertically integrated, with transfer, landfill, processing and recycling assets serviced by collection operations. The Western region segment also consists of wastesheds in western New York, which includes Ithaca, Elmira, Oneonta, Lowville, Potsdam, Geneva, Auburn, Rochester, Dunkirk, Jamestown and Olean markets. The Recycling segment provides a full range of solid waste services, and larger-scale recycling and commodity brokerage operations. The Other segment offers organic services, ancillary operations, major accounts and industrial services, discontinued operations, and earnings from equity method investees. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Rutland, VT.


Tetra Tech, Inc.
TTEK

Tetra Tech, Inc. engages in the provision of consulting and engineering services. It operates through the following segments: Government Services Group (GSG); Commercial and International Services Group (CIG); and Remediation and Construction Management (RCM). The GSG segment offers consulting and engineering services primarily to United States government clients such as federal, state and local, and development agencies worldwide. The CIG segment includes infrastructure and related environmental and geotechnical services, testing, engineering, and project management services to commercial and local government clients across Canada. The RCM segment focuses on the results of the wind-down of its non-core construction activities. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Pasadena, CA.


Waste Connections Inc
WCN

Waste Connections, Inc. engages in the provision of solid waste services. Its services include waste collection, transfer, disposal, treatment and recycling. It also provides non-hazardous exploration and production, waste treatment, recovery and disposal services. The company was founded by Ronald J. Mittelstaedt on September 9, 1997 and is headquartered in Vaughan, Canada.


Republic Services, Inc.
RSG

Republic Services, Inc. engages in the provision of services in the domestic non-hazardous solid waste industry. It provides integrated waste management services, which offers non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, disposal and energy services. The company operates through the following segments: Group 1 and Group 2. The Group 1 segment consists of geographic areas located in western United States. The Group 2 segment consists of geographic areas located in the southeastern and mid-western and the eastern seaboard of the United States. Republic Services was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ.


Clean Harbors, Inc.
CLH

Clean Harbors, Inc. engages in the provision of environmental, energy, and industrial services. It operates through the Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen business segments. The Environmental Services segment consists of the technical services; industrial services; field services; and oil, gas, and lodging businesses. The Safety-Kleen segment includes parts washer services, containerized waste services, vac services, used motor oil collection, and sale of base and blended oil products as well as complementary products. The company was founded by Alan S. McKim in 1980 and is headquartered in Norwell, MA.


Waste Management, Inc.
WM

Waste Management, Inc. engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. The Tier 1 segment comprises of areas in the Southern United States. The Tier 2 segment comprises of areas located in the Midwest and Northeast United States. The Tier 3 segment comprises all remaining areas, including the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and Eastern Canada. The company was founded on September 30, 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.


Advanced Disposal Services Inc
ADSW

Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. offers waste disposal, collection and recycling services for residential, commercial, industrial and construction customers. The firm's services include recycling, residential, commercial, landfils, special waste, and transfer stations. It operates through the following segments: South, East, Midwest, and Corporate. The company was founded in November, 2000 and is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.


Heritage-Crystal Clean Inc
HCCI

Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc. engages in the provision of parts cleaning and waste management services to the manufacturing and vehicle service sectors. It operates through the Environmental Services, and Oil Business segments. The Environmental Services segment includes parts cleaning, containerized waste management, vacuum truck services, antifreeze recycling activities, and field services. The Oil Business segment comprises of used oil collection, recycled fuel oil sales, used oil re-refining activities, and used oil filter removal and disposal services. The company was founded by Joseph Chalhoub in 1999 and is headquartered in Elgin, IL.


JanOne Inc
JAN

JanOne, Inc. focuses on finding treatments for conditions that cause severe pain and markets drugs with non-addictive pain-relieving properties. It operates through the following segments: Biotechnology, Recycling and Technology. The Recycling segment is a turnkey appliance recycling program. The Biotechnology segment deals in the development of new and innovative solutions for ending the opioid epidemic ranging from digital technologies to educational advocacy. The Technology segment develops technology to enable low cost, location-based products and services. The company was founded by Edward R. Cameron in 1976 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV.


Covanta Holding Corporation
CVA

Covanta Holding Corp. engages in the operation and ownership of infrastructure for the conversion of waste to energy, related waste transport and disposal, and other renewable energy production businesses. It operates large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects. The company was founded on April 16, 1992 and is headquartered in Morristown, NJ.


Avalon Holdings Corp.
AWX

Avalon Holdings Corp. engages in the provision of waste management services to industrial, commercial, municipal, and governmental customers. It operates through the Waste Management Services, and Golf and Related Operations segments. The Waste Management Services segment provides waste disposal brokerage and management services, captive landfill management operations, and salt water injection well operations. The Golf and Related Operations segment focuses on the operation and management of golf courses and related country clubs; hotel and its resort amenities; athletic center; and travel agency. The company was founded on April 30, 1998 and is headquartered in Warren, OH.


US Ecology Inc.
ECOL

US Ecology, Inc. engages in the provision of environmental services to commercial and government entities. It operates through the following segments: Environmental Services; Field and Industrial Services; and Corporate. The Environmental Services segment include a range of specialty material management services including transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal of hazardous, non-hazardous, E&P and radioactive waste at company-owned landfill, wastewater, deep-well injection, and other treatment facilities. The Field and Industrial Services segment offers specialty field services and total waste management solutions to commercial and industrial facilities and to government entities through 10-day transfer facilities and at customer sites, both domestic, and international. The Corporates segment comprises corporates selling, general and administrative expenses, legal, accounting, and other items. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Boise, ID.


Quest Resource Holding Corp
QRHC

Quest Resource Holding Corp. engages in the provision of reuse, recycling, and disposal services. It focuses on the waste streams and recyclables from big box, food chain, and other retailers; automotive repair, maintenance, and tire operations; truck and bus fleet operators; manufacturing plants; multi-family and commercial properties; and construction and demolition projects. The company was founded by Jeffrey I. Rassas in 2007 and is headquartered in The Colony, TX.


Hudson Technologies, Inc.
HDSN

Hudson Technologies, Inc. operates as a refrigerant services company, which provides solutions to recurring problems within the refrigeration industry. Its products and services are used in commercial air conditioning, industrial processing and refrigeration systems, which include refrigerant sales; refrigerant management services consisting primarily of reclamation of refrigerants; and Refrigerant Side services performed at the customer's site to remove moisture, oils and other contaminants. The company also offers predictive and diagnostic services through the Chiller Chemistry and Chill Smart brands. Hudson Technologies was founded by Stephen P. Mandracchia and Kevin J. Zugibe on January 11, 1991 and is headquartered in Pearl River, NY


Vertex Energy Inc
VTNR

Vertex Energy, Inc. engages in the recycle of industrial waste streams and off-specification commercial chemical products. The firm focuses on the recycle of used motor oil and other petroleum by-products. It operates through the following segments: Black Oil, Refining and Marketing and Recovery. The Black Oil segment collects and purchases used motor oil from third-party generators, established network of local and regional collectors and sells used motor oil to customers for use as a feedstock or replacement fuel for industrial burners. The Refining and Marketing segment manages the re-refinement of used motor oil and other petroleum by-products and sells the re-refined products to end customers. The Recovery segment includes a generator solutions company for the proper recovery and management of hydrocarbon streams as well as metals. The company was founded by Benjamin P. Cowart on May 14, 2008 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.more


Charah Solutions Inc
CHRA

Charah Solutions, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of mission-critical environmental and maintenance services to the power generation industry. It also offers on-site, essential services that enable clients to continue operations and provide necessary electric power to communities nationwide. It operates through the following Environmental Solutions, and Maintenance and Technical Services business segments. The Environmental Solutions segment includes remediation and compliance services. The Maintenance and Technical Services segment includes fossil services and nuclear services. The company was founded by Charles Price on January 30, 2018 and is headquartered in Louisville, KY.

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