Better Health for All

Waste Management's core services, including the acquisition of Stericycle in June 2024 for medical waste management, provide substantial health benefits by safely handling and disposing of waste.

The company is investing over $1.4 billion to convert landfill gas into renewable natural gas, which contributes to improved public health by enhancing air quality. These efforts contributed to a 10% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from a 2021 baseline, with an aim to increase beneficial use of captured landfill gas to 65% by 2026, up from 45% in 2022. Operations, such as the Kettleman Hills Hazardous Waste Facility, are managed securely to ensure no health risk to local residents, supported by extensive environmental training and compliance programs. , The company also launched an Environmental Health & Safety portal to educate healthcare customers on medical waste management, bloodborne pathogens, and exposure control.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

WM.US is a waste management company and does not offer lending, insurance, or deposit services to consumers. Consequently, most KPIs designed for financial institutions are not applicable. The company does not have APRs or fee structures for consumer credit products, nor does it generate customer finance data or operate financial service access points. While WM provides discounts on garbage rates for low-income residents in Hayward

and offers side yard service at no additional charge for disabled or elderly residents, these are for waste services, not financial products, and no specific percentage of total customers from underserved segments is provided. The company's financial literacy initiatives are for its employees, not customers. Although WM makes charitable contributions and dedicates net income to social impact programs , the evidence does not explicitly state these are for 'community finance' or 'profit-sharing with underserved communities' in a financial context.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Waste Management received a serious safety citation from the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration in June 2024 following a workplace fatality in Indiana

. The company settled a class action lawsuit for $15 million in 2010 for wage and hour violations , with additional lawsuits alleging similar violations filed in 2018 . In 2007, approximately 900 unionized workers were locked out during a labor dispute . More recently, in September 2023, 450 Teamsters members ratified a five-year contract with improved wages, benefits, and working conditions . The company provides employees with medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage, disability and life insurance, retirement plans, and education assistance . It also has a Code of Conduct and a Human Rights & Modern Slavery Policy .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Waste Management's Supplier Diversity Program aims to allocate 10% of its addressable spend to diverse businesses annually.

The company has a Human Rights & Modern Slavery Policy applicable to all personnel and contractors , and its Procurement Policy emphasizes environmental protection, workplace safety, and adherence to business conduct rules. WM also conducts periodic reviews with critical suppliers and has a Supplier Code of Conduct mandating compliance with anti-corruption laws and sustainable procurement policies.

Honest & Fair Business

Waste Management has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 15-16 consecutive times.

This recognition highlights its clean regulatory record, strong whistle-blower protection, and robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs, including a commitment to a speak-up culture without retaliation. However, the company faces criticism regarding its environmental justice footprint, with concerns about disproportionate impacts on communities of color. A 2022 stockholder proposal called for a third-party audit to analyze the negative impacts of WM's policies on civil rights.

Kind to Animals

Waste Management, Inc. manages over 13,500 acres across more than 70 sites for conservation.

This includes a 1,000-acre wildlife preserve supporting endangered species like the San Joaquin Kit Fox and California red-legged frog. The company has created wetland bird habitats, resulting in increased sightings of various waterfowl species, and supports fish spawning in Guadalupe Creek via an 800-foot fish ladder. WM also develops microforests in urban areas and provided a 300-acre lease to the National Elephant Center for endangered elephant conservation. These efforts have been recognized with multiple awards and certifications from the Wildlife Habitat Council since 2003. The company's core business is waste management services, and its operations do not involve animal testing, animal-derived products, or animal agriculture.

No War, No Weapons

Waste Management Inc. is not involved in arms manufacturing, military contracts, or conflict facilitation, as its core business is environmental protection and sustainability, focusing on waste collection, recycling, and renewable energy.

The company conducts an annual enterprise-wide internal risk assessment of its international activities, including human rights compliance. An attestation was made on May 30, 2025, for its Canadian subsidiaries, confirming compliance with the Canadian Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act for the 2024 reporting year.

Planet-Friendly Business

Waste Management (WM) reported a 12% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2023 from a 2021 baseline

. The company aims to reduce these emissions by 42% by 2031 . Contributing to this, 66% of its collection fleet has converted to alternative fuels like compressed natural gas, leading to a 20% GHG reduction from the fleet . WM has committed over $1.4 billion from 2022 to 2026 to develop 20 new facilities converting landfill gas into renewable natural gas (RNG) . By 2023, 17 RNG facilities were operational , generating over 56 million MMBtus of renewable energy . An additional $825 million is being invested from 2022 to 2025 to expand RNG infrastructure , with a goal to fuel the entire natural gas fleet with RNG by 2026 . In recycling, WM recovered over 15 million tons of materials in 2023 and invested $185 million in advanced technologies , increasing recovery efficiency by 27% . They plan a $1.4 billion investment from 2022 to 2026 to add 40 recycling facilities , aiming to increase processing capacity by 2.8 million tons annually . In May 2024, WM considered selling its renewable natural gas business .

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Waste Management provides a multi-lingual third-party Integrity Helpline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for employees and third parties to report concerns.

This multi-lingual support demonstrates strong local language incorporation in communications. Additionally, community relations managers serve as a direct conduit between local communities and the company, responsible for fielding and addressing community concerns.

Safe & Smart Tech

In January 2021, Waste Management experienced a data breach affecting over 268,000 individuals

, exposing personal information such as names and Social Security numbers . The company also faced a lawsuit in April 2022 alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act for collecting and sharing employees' fingerprint data without proper consent or disclosure , indicating issues with user data control and regulatory compliance.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Waste Management (WM) has established ambitious, company-wide waste reduction targets, including a 60% increase in material recovery by 2030 from a 2021 baseline

, a 65% beneficial use of captured landfill gas by 2027 , and a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2031 from a 2021 base year . The company implements at least eight distinct waste reduction initiatives, notably achieving a 100% landfill diversion rate at the WM Phoenix Open . WM demonstrates excellent hazardous waste management, treating 557,000 tons of medical waste and 30,000 tons of pharmaceutical waste in 2024 , utilizing Mercury VaporLok technology , and installing automated fire suppression systems in nearly half its recycling facilities and 40 landfills/transfer stations by 2023 . WM conducts quarterly recycling composition audits for clients like the City of Philadelphia . The company provides comprehensive customer waste education through its Recycle Right® program , an online service , and community education centers . Additionally, WM's EcoCarts contain 10% post-consumer recycled content .