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Waste Management reported second-quarter revenue of $6.68 billion, meeting Wall Street expectations with 4% year-on-year growth. The waste management services provider's adjusted earnings per share of $2.02 beat analyst estimates by 2.1%. However, the company's full-year revenue guidance of $26.38 billion came in 0.6% below consensus estimates. Adjusted EBITDA reached $2.07 billion, exceeding forecasts with a 30.9% margin. The Houston-based company's free cash flow margin improved to 16.5%, up from 12.6% in the same quarter last year. Operating margin held steady at 18.7%. CEO Jim Fish attributed the quarter's performance to the company's business model and team execution. Analysts project 6.2% revenue growth over the next 12 months, representing a slowdown from recent trends.

WM reported second quarter 2026 results showing revenue growth of 4.0%, driven by core price increases of 5.7%. The waste management company generated $1.73 billion in cash flow from operations, up nearly 12% year-over-year. Adjusted operating EBITDA grew 5.5%, or 9.1% excluding prior year wildfire cleanup activities. Collection and Disposal yield reached 3.6%, whilst volumes declined 1.8% primarily due to comparison with prior year wildfire work. Operating expenses remained steady at 59.2% of revenue despite higher fuel costs. Operating EBITDA margin expanded 40 basis points on an adjusted basis. The company returned $1.04 billion to shareholders through $659 million in share repurchases and $379 million in dividends. WM completed four sustainability projects during the quarter, including three renewable natural gas facilities and one recycling facility.

With Colorado's free recycling rollout in motion, facilities prepare for more material. Statewide expansion is shifting recycling costs to packaging producers Colorado's statewide recycling expansion is shifting costs from households and local governments to packaging producers. Posted 5:14 AM, Jul 22, 2026 and last updated 6:29 AM, Jul 22, 2026 DENVER - Coloradans without access to recycling will soon get it, and those paying for it will soon see that cost passed on to producers. Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said the Producer Responsibility Program - bringing free recycling to households across the state in hopes of increasing Colorado's recycling rate - is ramping up after it started in earnest last month. * Watch the full story in the video player below. Similar to plans in other states, the companies producing recyclable material like cardboard will now have to pay for the cost of recycling services in Colorado, instead of households or communities. CDPHE has designated Circular Action Alliance (CAA) as the Producer Responsibility Organization to carry out the program. The non-profit funds and manages the program by collecting dues from producers in order to reimburse local governments and private businesses' recycling service costs. Interchange 360 is another Producer Responsibility Organization handling containers not accepted by traditional household recycling, like motor oil and antifreeze containers. The CDPHE said the plan includes "a statewide public education and outreach campaign on recycling," and CAA is "in the early stages of executing" some reimbursement contracts for residential recycling. The department said those reimbursements will start later this year, with exact timing dependent on factors like where people live and "the availability of recycling services and infrastructure in those areas," adding that some rural areas "will require infrastructure improvements before they can receive the full benefits of this program." Infrastructure improvements are already happening in the Denver metro area. Denver's Republic Services recycling facility is leaning into artificial intelligence robot technology to more efficiently sort materials. "When people understand that recycling is free, we're going to see the volumes go up," Republic Services General Manager for Post Collection Operations Steve Derus told Denver7 last month. "Landfills have limited capacity, they're very expensive to expand or build new ones. So the more we can keep out of landfills by running facilities like this, the sustainability circular economy just grows and grows, and that's what we want to be part of." Earlier this month, Waste Management opened a $110 million facility in Aurora that can process 45 tons of recyclable material an hour, adding to the area's local capacity. The Producer Responsibility Program began with a bill Colorado lawmakers passed in 2022. Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Ryan Fish Denver7's Ryan Fish covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado's communities, but specializes in covering artificial intelligence, technology, aviation and space. If you'd like to get in touch with Ryan, fill out the form below to send him an email.