Weekly News Bulletin: Oct. 8-14, 2021
GFL Expands its Midwest Operations
GFL Environmental Inc. (Vaughan, ON) has acquired the solid waste management and recycling business of Peoria Disposal Company (Peoria, IL). "The acquisition of PDC provides us with a unique opportunity to acquire one of the best family owned and operated vertically integrated set of assets in the United States, while expanding our solid waste footprint within the U.S. Midwest," said Patrick Dovigi, founder and CEO of GFL. Since July 1, 2021 GFL has completed 16 acquisitions across its North American platform for a total of 31 acquisitions year-to-date: "With another acquisition expected to close in mid-October, we have deployed C$2.2 billion to acquire approximately C$715 million of revenue or C$340 million of revenue excluding the acquisition of Terrapure Environmental Ltd.," Dovigi said...Read More »
LRS Acquires Certain GFL Assets
Armed with new backing from Macquarie Asset Management, LRS (Morton Grove, IL), formerly Lakeshore Recycling Systems, has recently acquired 16 of GFL Environmental's (Vaughn, ON) operations in the upper midwest. This move is LRS's largest to date and represents a major move by the company to expand its market share. This includes the Illinois operations GFL acquired from Waste Management's divestitures following its acquisition of Advanced Disposal. LRS also picks up Prairieland Disposal & Recycling Services, which brings with it 16 municipal contracts...Read More »
Survey Reveals Challenges Facing MRFs
A Recycling Today Media Group survey revealed that most materials recovery facility (MRF) operators (74%) and haulers (67%) have been dealing with labor shortages and cost issues. Additionally, changes in demand for materials over the course of the pandemic has also presented a difficult challenge for both municipalities and operators. One operator also cited "greenwashing", companies branding materials as recyclable when they aren't, as well as "wishcycling", people recycling objects that cannot be recycled, as additional problems facing MRFs...Read More »
Colorado Company Invests $100 Million in RNG
A Boulder, CO based company has invested $100 million in a renewable natural gas firm that captures methane from landfills and converts it into natural gas. The RNG company, Vision RNG LLC, is hoping to launch projects in Missouri and Virginia. RNG represents a possible solution for reducing both carbon and its far more potent cousin, methane, emissions. Behind the startup is Bill Johnson, previously CEO of Pittsburgh-based ShalePro Energy Services, a company that designs and builds infrastructure for traditional natural gas producers. "Landfill gas has long created challenges for landfill owners, the surrounding communities, and the greater environment," Johnson said...Read More »
Waste Pro Makes Acquisitions; 2022 Revenue to Exceed $900 Million
Waste Pro, a Florida based firm, has announced 5 new acquisitions in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. These acquisitions will greatly expand its impact across the South. The company has also been awarded 5 new disposal contracts across the above listed states. "We are excited about the recent acquisitions and the municipal opportunities and look forward to providing the excellent service that has allowed us to grow over the years," said Waste Pro President and CEO Sean Jennings. "Together with our organic growth, we can forecast 2022 Revenue to exceed $900 million."...Read More »
Republic Services Opens Training Institute
Republic Services (Phoenix, AZ) recently opened a facility to train diesel technicians in house. This represents a major investment in its workforce. The intent is to home grow the number of trained technicians to meet its growing demand for skilled workers. Republic Services fully covers costs for students, including tuition and lodging for the duration of the training. The training also covers life skills training in fields such as leadership and diversity and inclusion. Republic hopes that this training will help them address pandemic related diesel tech shortages across the country as well as provide meaningful education for workers who qualify...Read More »
Firm that Recycles Rice Waste-to-Fiberboard Files Bankruptcy
CalPlant, a firm that specializes in converting rice waste to fiberboard, has filed for bankruptcy after it defaulted on over $300 million in loans. The firm claims that after it opened in March of 2020, the pandemic introduced a myriad of problems that prevented it from operating at full capacity. The pandemic related problems compounded existing issues that are common with any start up business.
Many of the investors have agreed to hold off on collecting debts and some have helped finance the bankruptcy court costs. Bankruptcy would allow CalPlant to sell the facility. Because the facility is situated in the region south of Sacramento, CA that produces a fifth of the USA's rice, many believe it will be capable of producing large quantities of fiberboard and reduce the region's waste impact...Read More »
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