As a vertically integrated waste and recycling solutions company, WIN Waste is on a mission to reinvent material reuse by diverting millions of tons of post-recycled waste from landfills, as well as continuing to focus on company growth, retention, safety, and operational efficiencies.
In 2019, Wheelabrator Technologies, City Carting & Recycling, and Tunnel Hill Partners merged to become WIN Waste Innovations, creating a vertically integrated waste and recycling solutions company. Over the last few years, WIN Waste has acquired 12 waste services companies to continue growth in its core markets. With just over 2,000 employees, 10 collections sites, three MRFs, 22 transfer stations (including C&D transfer), four ash monofils, three landfills, and 14 waste-to-energy facilities (where post-recycled waste is converted into renewable energy), WIN Waste has teams, assets, and facilities from Maine to Florida (with its core being in New England and Connecticut/New York). This year, WIN Waste broadened its presence in the Ohio market and is eager to serve more communities in that region.
Facing Adversity
With the events of the last few years, WIN Waste, like so many other organizations, experienced a shift in waste streams and residential behaviors. “COVID reaffirmed that the solid waste business is resilient. As an essential service provider, we did not see the same adverse impacts from economic cycles as some other industries did,” says Eric Speiser, VP of Sales, Marketing and Communications. “The disruption caused by COVID did cause waste streams to shift toward more residential waste. As a business, we made sure that we responded with agility to meet changing market conditions while keeping our team members safe.”
In response to COVID, WIN Waste was able to procure more than 32,000 units of PPE. The company retained 100 percent of its employees and provided essential waste services to nearly 150,000 customers. Now, with supply chain shortages, Speiser says the company has really tapped into the value of having a designated procurement and supply chain team to mitigate shortages and negotiate evolving market conditions.
WIN Waste is focused on recruiting and retaining strong talent and has continually assessed its staffing models to position itself attractively amid changing labor market dynamics. “We offer competitive pay, industry-leading benefits, and one of our top priorities is creating the most diverse and inclusive workforce in the business,” Speiser says. “This focus has helped us grow rapidly yet effectively.”
Investing in Innovation
Despite the increasing amount of waste, both from the convenience culture and the single-use products needed to mitigate COVID, WIN Waste continues to bring reliable, sustainable end-disposal methods, especially in more populated regions. “We are working hard to provide sustainable options at every step of the waste process,” Speiser says. “Through our recycling facilities and transfer stations, we are recycling paper, plastic, metals, and construction and demolition materials. Through our waste-to-energy facilities, we are reinventing material reuse by diverting millions of tons of post-recycled waste from landfills, following the EPA waste hierarchy for the preferred method of end disposal.”
Using its curb-to-grid approach, the company recovers a substantial amount of energy from post-recycled waste, which it sends onto the electrical grid and then back into the communities it serves as renewable energy. “WIN Waste collects and converts waste into renewable energy while recovering hundreds of thousands of tons of metals for reuse, reducing the volume of landfill waste by 90 percent, which is increasingly important as landfills reach capacity and few new landfill permits are being issued,” Speiser adds.
WIN Waste believes that the waste management industry plays a critical role in the sustainability of the planet. From planning more efficient collections routes to transforming waste into renewable power, WIN Waste is doing its part to preserve natural resources and protect the planet. “This requires businesses to be more flexible and agile than ever before to adapt and respond to the changing environment,” Speiser says. “We will continue to invest in emerging technologies and innovation. Our commitment to being a leader in sustainable waste solutions runs so deep that it is reflected in our name and tagline—Performance for the Planet. WIN Waste will continue to invest in our facilities and technology to provide continued reliability in the essential services we provide with the protection and preservation of our planet top of mind.”
A Commitment to Safety and the Community
WIN Waste’s commitment to safety is its number one priority. The company’s Safety on Purpose program seeks to maintain a safe and healthy workplace to ensure team members return home safely every day, while also protecting public health and the environment. The Safety on Purpose team facilitates on-the-job training and education geared toward fostering a culture of accountability.
WIN Waste is also a proud partner in the communities it serves. The company supports STE(A)M programs designed to help youth discover potential career paths while helping foster the workforce’s next generation. WIN Waste also prioritizes the environment in its services, supporting and spearheading projects that help bring a more sustainable future, such as planting urban tree canopies in Baltimore and restoring sparrow nests on coastal marshes in New England. The company supports more than 250 local organizations that are doing work that aligns with the WIN Waste mission, such as waste reduction education, wildlife and habitat protection, biodiversity services, environmental education, and natural resource preservation.
Continued Growth
While growing rapidly, WIN Waste has implemented safety and environmental health policies and procedures to bring all companies now under the WIN Waste umbrella up to the high standards of the WIN Way. This means adherence to some of the most stringent environmental standards, and continuously improving through the company’s Safety on Purpose program.
“We are proud of our results,” says Speiser. “But we will not rest on our achievements. We’ll continue to focus on growth, recruitment, retention, safety, operational efficiencies, and continuous
improvement.” | WA
For more information, visit win-waste.com.