Waste collection, which accounted for 58 percent of revenues in 2010, will continue to be the largest contributor to industry revenues, reflecting increasing waste generation volumes and rising fuel and labor costs. The vast majority of this waste is generated by individuals and is collected by either government employees or third party contractors. The shift to the latter will continue, as government entities continue to privatize government functions, including waste collection. Waste collection revenues will increase 4.1 percent annually to $58.5 billion in 2015.
Waste treatment and disposal revenues are projected to increase 3.0 percent annually to $19.2 billion in 2015. This below-average growth potential will primarily reflect an increasing emphasis on waste diversion, as both governments and waste service providers recognize the value in diverting waste away from disposal and into recycling and other material recovery options.
Remediation revenues are forecast to increase 5.9 percent annually to $19.2 billion in 2015. Revenue growth will be spurred by increasingly strict environmental regulations governing the remediation of industrial “brownfields,” as well as continued removal or encapsulation of such toxic substances as lead paint, asbestos and mold in both residential and nonresidential structures. Material recovery and other waste management services revenue growth will result from increasing adoption of recycling programs and the expansion of material recovery services into materials other than traditional recycled materials.
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