Welder

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.

Virtual Town Hall introduces proposed changes to BASWR governance. BRUCE COUNTY - The July 7 Town Hall on Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) governance provided information on proposed changes and the business case aimed at providing continued service by a sustainable, modernized organization in a municipal services corporation (MSC) format. By Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Walkerton Herald Times BRUCE COUNTY - The July 7 Town Hall on Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) governance provided information on proposed changes and the business case aimed at providing continued service by a sustainable, modernized organization in a municipal services corporation (MSC) format. Facilitated by KPMG Canada, and moderated by Anne Lindsay of KPMG, the virtual Town Hall provided an overview of the background and business case, and gave those in attendance the opportunity to ask questions. The focus was on governance, but Lindsay was able to answer some of the questions that edged toward operations and service delivery. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Powered By Pamela Anderson hits out at Liam Neeson 'PR stunt' romance rumours BASWR came together in 1999 in a joint undertaking by seven Bruce County municipalities. What worked well in 1999, "was not designed to meet the increasing governance, financial and reporting requirements associated with today's operating environment." The province recently mandated changes to Ontario's recycling program, altering BASWR's role. As stated in Lindsay's presentation, this led to the decision on making a business case to "modernize and formalize" BASWR's legacy joint-undertaking model to "align governance, liability protection and decision-making with BASWR's current operating reality and future service needs." BASWR is now contracted by Waste Management to collect residential recycling. Making a strong business case for change in governance started with information gathering, said Lindsay. In addition to one-on-one meetings with CAOs, mayors and additional stakeholders, KPMG conducted a public survey that had 657 responses. Lindsay said the largest response came from Huron-Kinloss (29 per cent of the responses) with Kincardine at 18 per cent, Arran-Elderslie at 17 per cent and South Bruce Peninsula at 14 per cent. Brockton, South Bruce and Saugeen Shores residents also responded, although in fewer numbers. The major take-away from the survey was 88 per cent of respondents were satisfied with BASWR's services and reliability. Respondents "overwhelmingly noted consistent pickup service, as well as landfill being organized; staff were noted as helpful and respectful when interacted with." In addition, 72 per cent of respondents thought their municipality has "appropriate oversight" over BASWR, while 97 per cent thought "clear and well-defined oversight" is important. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Lindsay described the current "legacy" model as lean and efficient. Municipalities have been able to collaborate on shared service delivery and maintain local involvement in BASWR's governance and operating direction. However, there are limitations - the governance structure is not formalized, with unclear roles and decision rights. Council oversight is described as "inconsistent" and indirect. Financial and contractual risk requires clearer oversight, Lindsay said. As stated in her presentation, "While the current model has supported service delivery to date, it lacks the formal governance, financial structure, and accountability mechanisms required to support BASWR's future operating environment. Due to this, the BASWR member municipalities engaged KPMG to prepare a business case for the transition of BASWR to an MSC." Lindsay explained all seven members would be shareholders of the municipal services corporation (MSC). There would be articles of incorporation, and a board of directors. Her presentation stated that transitioning to an MSC provides an opportunity to modernize the governance and operating model to better align with evolving requirements. Roles would have clarity, with a distinction between municipal shareholders, board of directors, and management. At the same time, the MSC would preserve municipal control over major decisions. The shift to the current contract model provides greater revenue predictability than the prior commodity market, but it also involves budgeting, capital planning, reserves, retained earnings, dividends, contract renewal and reinvestment. An MSC provides a clear legal structure for BASWR to enter contracts, hold assets, employ staff, manage reserves and make financial decisions within defined municipal-approved limits. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW What's proposed is an MSC with a nine-member board of directors - one municipal representative (from council or community) from each shareholder, and two additional members. The board would provide oversight, while management staff would lead day-to-day operations. Major matters affecting mandate, ownership, financial exposure, service obligations, or municipal entry / exit would remain subject to approval by each member municipal council as shareholder. There would be an annual general meeting with annual audited financial statements, budgets and financial plans. Lindsay explained that each municipality would have its own service agreement with BASWR, since not all member municipalities employ BASWR to pick up waste. The MSC would be established under Ontario's Municipal Act 2001. A chart in Lindsay's slide presentation shows where key changes would occur. The most obvious, is in the annual capital and operating budgets which are now a council decision. That would shift to the new board of directors. Lindsay stated that KPMG's financial analysis has determined that the new BASWR MSC "can operate on a financially sustainable basis" for the next seven years - the duration of the Waste Management contract - with potential for contract renewal after that. The next steps over the coming year would involve the acceptance and endorsement of the business case by the member councils. That would be followed incorporating the MSC as a legal entity, form the board of directors, and establish the agreements that would provide legal protection for all parties. There were a number of questions from those in attendance. One involved operational changes, i.e. the possibility of more frequent recycling pickup. The answer was, this is now completely mandated by the province. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW There was a question about who would assume responsibility should there be a financial deficit. Lindsay answered that a deficit is not anticipated, based on the contract with Waste Management. Should that contract not be renewed, the entire operation would need to be changed or reconsidered. Another question involved risk to the partners. Lindsay explained that under the MSC model, decision making is delegated to the board. This is mitigated through the Shareholder Agreement. Any major financial decisions would be made by the shareholders. There was a question about revenues for municipalities. Lindsay said there would be revenues, and it would be up to the board how much is held in reserves and how much goes back to the municipalities. The proposed changes in governance will go to each municipality during July, and councils will have the opportunity for input. Additional information is available through member municipalities.