Gitnux/Report 2026

Environmental Protection Industry Statistics

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Environmental Protection Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The environmental protection industry at a glance

Japan’s environmental industry reached ¥130.3 trillion in 2023, and the EU environmental economy generated €1.33 trillion of output in 2023 while supporting 5.8 million full-time-equivalent jobs. Regulation remains a major demand driver through pollution-control, waste, water and emissions requirements, while EU market funding is evidenced by more than €288 billion raised from EU ETS allowance auctions since 2013 by mid-October 2026.

¥130.3T[74]
Japan market size, 2023
5.8M[7]
EU environmental jobs, 2023
€1.33T[7]
EU environmental output, 2023
25%[75]
US share of global market
Market size
Japan’s environmental industry was estimated at ¥130.3312 trillion in 2023, up 5.9% year on year and equivalent to 11.3% of all Japanese industrial sectors. The EU environmental economy generated €1,327 billion of output and €492 billion of gross value added in 2023.[74][7]
Forecast & CAGR
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment projects the domestic environmental-industry market to reach approximately ¥146.8 trillion by 2050, compared with ¥130.3 trillion in 2023. The source does not publish a CAGR for this forecast; it states that the estimate covers existing industries and excludes potential new industries.[74]
Market share & regions
The United States is described by the International Trade Administration as the largest single market for environmental-technology goods and services, accounting for approximately one-quarter of the global market. In Japan, the environmental industry represented 11.3% of all industrial-sector market size in 2023.[75][74]
Segmentation
Japan classifies the environmental industry into four segments: environmental pollution prevention, global-warming countermeasures, waste treatment and effective use of resources, and natural-environment conservation. In the EU, environmental activity is grouped into environmental protection and resource management; in 2023, EU employment included 1.3 million full-time equivalents in waste management and material recovery and 1.0 million in clean air and energy.[74][7]
Key players & concentration
The U.S. environmental-technology market is structurally fragmented in water services: approximately 4,300 utilities supplied about 80% of U.S. drinking water and treated almost half of wastewater. Around 90% of drinking-water service was provided by public utilities, indicating substantial public-sector participation rather than concentration among private companies.[75]
Pricing
No reliable, industry-wide pricing index covering the full environmental protection industry was identified. Available official evidence indicates that price effects materially affect measured production: Eurostat reports that EU environmental-economy production rose 38.2% in real terms between 2014 and 2023, while current-price growth was higher.[7]
Trends, drivers & challenges
EU environmental-economy employment increased from 3.6 million full-time equivalents in 2014 to 5.8 million in 2023, with renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management and material recovery among the main growth areas. Key challenges include energy costs, weak domestic demand, global overcapacity and import pressure; direct emissions from five energy-intensive EU industries nevertheless fell 27% from 2010 to 2024.[7][76]
Regulation
Environmental regulation remains a major demand driver through pollution-control, waste, water and emissions requirements. The EU Emissions Trading System had raised more than €288 billion from allowance auctions since 2013 by mid-October 2026, including more than €43 billion in 2025; EU energy-intensive industries accounted for around three-quarters of industrial greenhouse-gas emissions.[76]
Latest news
Eurostat’s 2026 release reports that EU environmental-economy employment reached 5.8 million full-time equivalents in 2023, up from 3.6 million in 2014, while output reached €1.327 trillion. The European Commission’s 2026 climate-progress report also records €43 billion of EU ETS auction revenue in 2025.[7][76]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Environmental Protection Industry

The leading companies in the environmental protection industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Ecolab stands out in environmental protection because its water business helps customers improve industrial water efficiency, with 2% revenue growth and 17% operating margin, while Republic Services stands out since it provides recycling, waste and environmental solutions across North America, backed by a 19.9% operating margin and 3.5% revenue growth.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in water treatment

    Ecolab

    US

    Ranked #1 · 8.9 · Water treatment

    Why we picked it: Its industrial water treatment focus pairs with reported 17% operating margin, tying performance to water efficiency.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ecolab.com ↗

  2. Leader in waste collection & recycling

    Republic Services

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.8 · Waste collection & recycling

    Why we picked it: Its North America network of recycling, waste, and environmental solutions aligns with a 19.9% operating margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit republicservices.com ↗

  3. Leader in resource management

    Veolia

    FR

    Ranked #5 · 8.7 · Resource management

    Why we picked it: Its multi-activity model across water, waste, and energy is reflected in -0.7% revenue growth and 7.43% margin.

    See in ranking ↓Visit veolia.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the environmental protection industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Ecolab

Water treatment · US

8.9
2

Republic Services

Waste collection & recycling · US

8.8
3

Waste Connections

Waste collection & recycling · US

8.8
4

Xylem

Water treatment · US

8.8
5

Veolia

Resource management · FR

8.7
6

Clean Harbors

Hazardous waste treatment and environmental services · US

8.5
7

SUEZ

Water, wastewater and waste management worldwide · FR

8.4
8

Cleanaway Waste Management

Waste collection, treatment and resource recovery · AU

8.4
9

TOMRA

Reverse vending and recycling sorting systems · NO

8.3
10

Renewi

Recycling and waste-to-product services · GB

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the environmental protection industry. In Environmental Protection Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/environmental-protection-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest environmental protection companies

Veolia leads with $47.9B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Veolia$47.9B
Republic Services$16.6B
SUEZ$10.3B
Waste Connections$9.5B
Xylem$9.0B
Clean Harbors$6.0B
source-verifiedveolia.com · investor.republicservices.com · suez.com · investors.wasteconnections.com · xylem.com · ir.cleanharbors.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology and innovation are shifting toward AI and physical automation. In 2026, 92% of energy, resources, and industrials companies expected to customize AI agents, while only 5% of surveyed EHS+ organizations had AI embedded across workflows.

AI in the environmental protection industry

  • 20% of energy, resources, and industrials companies reported at least moderate agentic-AI adoption in 2026.[1]
  • 72% of energy, resources, and industrials companies reported at least limited use of physical AI in 2026.[1]
  • 23% of energy, resources, and industrials companies were using AI to deeply transform their businesses in 2026.[1]
  • 5% of surveyed EHS+ organizations had AI embedded across their workflows in 2026.[2]
  • 92% of energy, resources, and industrials companies expected to customize AI agents for their business needs in 2026.[1]
  • 95% of surveyed EHS+ leaders said their teams were already using AI tools outside approved systems in 2026.[2]

Automation in the environmental protection industry

  • 85% of surveyed EHS+ organizations were operating with manual, disconnected, or partially integrated tools in 2026, indicating limited workflow automation.[2]
  • 5% of surveyed EHS+ organizations had embedded AI across workflows in 2026, a measure of advanced process automation.[2]
  • 72% of energy, resources, and industrials companies reported at least limited physical-AI use in 2026, covering automation of physical operational activities.[1]

Digital Transformation in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of German waste-management firms relied on digital technology for dispatching and logistics.[3]
  • 51% of global waste and recycling companies planned to evolve and invest in IT architecture during 2024, according to an industry benchmark survey.[4]
  • 60% of global waste and recycling organizations identified resistance to change as their largest digital-implementation challenge in 2024.[4]
  • 66% of German waste-management firms planned to increase their engagement with digitalization in the future.[3]
  • 72% of surveyed UK environmental-services organizations expected the pace of digital transformation to accelerate over the following three to five years.[5]

Technology Adoption in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20.3% of environmental-industry projects used remote sensors or monitors in 2023.[6]
  • 34.3% of environmental-industry projects used analytical or monitoring technology in 2023.[6]
  • 47.4% of environmental-industry projects used mapping, modeling and visualization technologies in 2023.[6]
  • 19.1% of environmental-industry projects used satellite technology in 2023.[6]
  • 52.5% of environmental-industry projects used IT systems and software in 2023, compared with 52.2% in 2020.[6]

Cloud Computing in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 45.52% of EU enterprises using paid cloud services hosted their databases in the cloud in 2025.[7]
  • 30% of sustainability-services clients used cloud technology in engagements, based on a global study of more than 22,000 clients.[8]
  • 30.12% of EU enterprises using paid cloud services purchased cloud-based enterprise-resource-planning applications in 2025.[7]
  • About 50% of surveyed German waste-management firms considered cloud computing already relevant or relevant within the following five years.[3]
  • 39.52% to 62.11% of enterprises across most EU economic sectors used paid cloud-computing services in 2025; water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation recorded the largest year-on-year increase.[7]

Big Data in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 42% of German waste-management firms expected big-data analytics to become relevant within 12 months, based on the survey’s most digitally advanced respondent group.[3]
  • 50% of German waste-management-firm respondents identified increasing data volume as a driver of digitalisation in the sector in 2021.[3]
  • About 50% of surveyed German waste-management firms considered big-data analytics already relevant or relevant within the following five years.[3]
  • 73% of environmental-industry respondents rated data management as critically or highly important in the 2023 global Geoscience Data Management Survey.[9]
  • 43% of German waste-management-firm respondents used monitoring of container filling levels, while 13% were implementing it, in the 2021 industry survey.[3]
  • 56% of sustainability-services client engagements used analytics, the highest adoption rate among the digital technologies assessed globally.[8]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data and analytics work remains operationally heavy. Across waste and recycling organizations, 66% spend at least 10 hours per week manually compiling reports, and 79% still export operational data into Excel.

Business intelligence in the environmental protection industry

  • 42% of surveyed companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenue used business-intelligence tools for sustainability data in 2021.[10]
  • 39% of surveyed companies used cloud technology to manage sustainability data in 2021.[10]
  • 48% of surveyed companies used data analytics to manage sustainability data in 2021.[10]
  • 15% of surveyed companies used machine learning or artificial intelligence to manage sustainability data in 2021.[10]
  • 37% of surveyed companies used enterprise-resource-planning systems to manage sustainability data in 2021.[10]
  • 16% of surveyed companies with annual revenue between $100 million and $1 billion used business-intelligence tools for sustainability data in 2021.[10]

Data analytics in the environmental protection industry

  • 62% of companies with revenue above $1 billion rated their sustainability analytics performance as slightly better than peers or ahead of the curve in 2021.[11]
  • 48% of companies with revenue below $100 million used analytics to reduce energy and water usage in 2021.[11]
  • 60% of companies with revenue from $100 million to $250 million used analytics to reduce energy and water usage in 2021.[11]
  • 52% of companies with revenue from $1 billion to $10 billion used analytics to reduce energy and water usage in 2021.[11]
  • 42% of surveyed companies strongly agreed that they were committed to using data analytics and digital transformation for energy and sustainability programs in 2021.[11]
  • 33% of surveyed companies strongly agreed that they had a dedicated person or team responsible for analytical efforts in 2021.[11]

Data Quality in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across waste and recycling organizations, 66% spend at least 10 hours per week manually compiling reports, based on a 2025 survey of 154 industry leaders.[12]
  • Across supply-management organizations, 67% say their data quality is better or significantly better than two years earlier, according to a 2024 survey.[13]
  • Across supply-management organizations, 49% rate their data quality as good or excellent in a 2024 survey of more than 121 respondents.[13]
  • Across waste and recycling organizations, 79% still export operational data into Excel, based on a survey of 154 industry leaders in 2025.[12]
  • Across supply-management organizations, 23% spend at least 21% of their time cleaning data, according to a 2024 survey of more than 121 respondents.[13]

Data Governance in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply-management organizations, 81% find their data-governance program useful, according to a 2024 survey of more than 121 respondents.[13]
  • Across organizations globally, 65% report that data governance is in place only at an initial, lower-maturity stage, according to DATAVERSITY’s 2024 survey.[14]
  • Across supply-management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% house it in a center of excellence, according to a 2024 survey.[13]
  • Across supply-management organizations, 61% have a dedicated data-governance function, according to a 2024 survey of more than 121 respondents.[13]
  • Across organizations globally, 32.1% report having a formal data- and analytics-governance organization in place, while 67.9% report none, in the 2024 study.[15]

KPIs in the environmental protection industry

  • 30% of companies reporting environmental KPIs in the CDSB review reported water-management indicators.[16]
  • 73% of businesses in the 2023 Global EHS Benchmark Report measured environmental incidents.[17]
  • 87% of businesses in the 2023 Global EHS Benchmark Report measured emissions and climate-related impacts.[17]
  • 68% of companies reporting environmental KPIs in the CDSB review reported greenhouse-gas emissions indicators.[16]
  • 25% of companies reporting environmental KPIs in the CDSB review reported energy indicators.[16]
  • 20% of energy-sector companies in the CDSB review reported environmental KPIs.[16]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Strategy and growth are visible in capacity additions, deal flow, and contracting terms. Waste Management added 545,000 tons of annual recycling capacity in 2024, and Veolia reported 169.7 billion dollars in 2023 global environmental-services revenue from ENR’s Top 200 firms.

Growth in the environmental protection industry

  • 545,000 tons of annual recycling capacity were added by WM in 2024.[18]
  • 11% was WM’s 2024 adjusted operating-EBITDA growth.[19]
  • 6.7% was WM’s core-price contribution to 2024 revenue growth.[19]
  • 128 environmental firms reported increased backlogs in ENR’s 2024 Top 200 survey.[20]
  • 44.7 billion euros was Veolia’s 2024 revenue, compared with 45.4 billion euros in 2023.[21]
  • 169.7 billion dollars was the 2023 global environmental-services revenue reported by ENR’s Top 200 firms.[20]

Differentiation in the environmental protection industry

  • 24.6% of Veolia’s 2024 revenue came from energy activities.[21]
  • Nearly 5,000 patents were held by Veolia in 2024.[21]
  • 65 million metric tons of waste were treated by Veolia in 2024.[21]
  • 35.0% of Veolia’s 2024 revenue came from waste activities.[21]
  • 14 research centers supported Veolia’s environmental-solution development worldwide in 2024.[21]
  • 40.3% of Veolia’s 2024 revenue came from water activities.[21]

Mergers and acquisitions in the environmental protection industry

  • 14 acquisitions had been completed by Verdantas since its May 2024 sponsor acquisition by Sterling Investment Partners.[22]
  • 9 acquisitions had been completed by Verdantas year-to-date through 2025.[22]
  • 85 M&A transactions were completed by leading environmental and sustainability-consulting firms from 2018 through 2022.[23]
  • 7.2 billion dollars was WM’s purchase price for Stericycle, completed in November 2024.[19]

Strategic partnerships in the environmental protection industry

  • 2 additional five-year extensions were available under 374Water’s Orlando agreement.[24]
  • 2024 was the start year of Tradebe’s agreement securing access to Veolia hazardous-waste treatment capacity.[25]
  • 5 years was the initial term of 374Water’s agreement with the City of Orlando for waste-destruction services.[26]
  • 400 metric tons of sludge per month was the minimum treatment target for 374Water’s three-month Orlando collaboration.[26]
  • 221 bar was the operating pressure of 374Water’s AirSCWO technology described in its partnership memorandum.[27]
  • 2 agreements were signed by SUEZ and Uzbek authorities in March 2025 to support Uzbekistan’s environmental transformation.[28]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce constraints and adoption gaps show up as training and change-management issues. In 2026, 34% of surveyed EHS organizations cited insufficient training as a workforce problem, while 75% of building-service contractors identified recruitment and hiring as their biggest labor challenge in 2025.

Hiring in the environmental protection industry

  • 74% of large companies reported increased sustainability-team headcount in 2023 and 2024.[29]
  • 75% of building-service contractors identified recruitment and hiring as their biggest labor challenge in 2025.[30]
  • 34% of surveyed EHS organizations cited insufficient training as a workforce problem in 2026.[29]

Employee retention in the environmental protection industry

  • Reworld reported a 24% total employee-turnover rate in 2024 across 1,067 separations.[31]
  • Reworld reported a 23% turnover rate among male employees in 2024.[31]
  • Reworld recorded 720 voluntary separations and 347 involuntary separations in 2024.[31]
  • Reworld employees had average service of 5.42 years in 2024.[31]
  • Reworld reported a 23% turnover rate among employees aged 30–50 in 2024.[31]

Remote Work in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. workers with teleworkable jobs, 43% worked from home most or some of the time in October 2024.[32]
  • Across U.S. workers with teleworkable jobs, 25% rarely or never worked from home in October 2024.[32]
  • Across U.S. workers with teleworkable jobs, 14% worked from home all the time before the COVID-19 outbreak, according to retrospective 2024 responses.[32]
  • Across U.S. workers with teleworkable jobs, 32% worked from home all the time in October 2024.[32]

Hybrid Work in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 52% expected hybrid work as their long-term arrangement in May 2026.[33]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[33]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 61% preferred hybrid work when surveyed in November 2025.[33]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 6% preferred working on-site when surveyed in November 2025.[33]

Employee Engagement in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 81% of employees were positive on the 2024 Employee Engagement Index.[34]
  • Across global employees, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.S. employees, 17% were actively disengaged at work in 2025.[33]
  • At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 84% of employees said in 2024 that they knew what was expected of them on the job.[34]
  • Across U.S. employees, 31% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 20% globally.[33]

DEI in the environmental protection industry

  • Almost 70% of leaders at the 40 largest U.S. environmental organizations and foundations identified as white in a 2022 Green 2.0 survey.[35]
  • More than 80% of National Park Service employees were white according to service data cited in 2022.[35]
  • 60% of staff at the 40 largest U.S. environmental organizations and foundations identified as white in a 2022 Green 2.0 survey.[35]

Change Management in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. employees surveyed in 2025, 27% agreed that their organization was prioritizing the right change.[36]
  • Across organizations surveyed by APQC, 42% rated their change-management practices moderately effective for technology implementation and adoption in 2025.[37]
  • Across organizations surveyed by APQC, 27% rated their change-management practices very or extremely effective for technology implementation and adoption in 2025.[37]
  • Across U.S. employees surveyed in 2025, 24% agreed that organizational change was executed in a way that made it easy to embrace.[36]
  • Across U.S. employees surveyed in 2025, 25% agreed that their organization effectively managed change across the workforce.[36]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer trust and service communication stay central for water-facing operations. In 2024, 41% of U.S. residential water utility customers said they did not feel their utility’s water was safe to drink.

Customer experience in the environmental protection industry

  • 41% of U.S. residential water utility customers said in 2024 that they did not feel their utility’s water was safe to drink.[38]
  • 6.7 out of 10 was the average Australian customer rating for excellent water-utility customer service in the 2025 WSAA survey.[39]
  • 47% of U.K. water customers gave a net-positive rating to how well their company communicated about services and plans in 2024.[40]
  • 33% of dissatisfied U.K. water customers said in 2024 that they did not remember receiving company communication apart from bills.[40]
  • 59% of U.S. residential water utility customers said their unfiltered tap water was safe or very safe to drink in 2024.[38]

Customer retention in the environmental protection industry

  • 94% was Republic Services’ customer-retention rate reported in the most recent earnings season cited by William Blair.[41]
  • 91% was the implied Waste Management customer-retention rate based on the 9% churn rate cited by William Blair.[41]
  • 9% was Waste Management’s commercial and industrial customer churn rate, implying that customers stayed for more than 10 years on average.[19]

Customer loyalty in the environmental protection industry

  • 47% of Waste Management customers met the company’s loyalty goal in 2017.[42]
  • 43 was the 2025 Net Promoter Score reported by Gippsland Water for its Australian water-provider customer survey.[39]
  • 9.0% was Waste Management’s response rate for its long-running customer-satisfaction survey.[42]
  • 10,000–12,000 customer surveys were received monthly by Waste Management in its customer-satisfaction program.[42]
  • 36% of U.K. water customers gave their water or sewerage company a trust score of at least 8 out of 10 in 2024.[40]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand communications increasingly intersect with societal and environmental topics. In 2026, 72% of consumers wanted their favorite brands to engage in cultural, societal or environmental conversations online.

Marketing in the environmental protection industry

  • 72% of consumers wanted their favorite brands to engage in cultural, societal or environmental conversations online in 2026.[43]
  • 96% of utility social-media leaders selected outage or emergency communication as a top social-media objective in the 2021 survey.[44]
  • 89% of utility social-media leaders selected improving customer satisfaction and the utility relationship as a top objective in 2021.[44]
  • 89% of utility social-media leaders selected managing, developing or protecting the brand as a top objective in 2021.[44]
  • 68% of surveyed brands highly or very highly prioritized showcasing cultural, social or environmental impact through social media in 2026.[43]

Digital marketing in the environmental protection industry

  • 30% of U.S. water-utility customers received their bill electronically in the 2017 J.D. Power study.[38]
  • 43% of Clean Water Services customers used social media as a source of community information in 2023.[45]
  • 106 points higher was overall satisfaction among U.S. water customers recalling four or more proactive digital communications in 2020.[38]
  • 60% of Clean Water Services customers used social media as a source of community information in 2025, up from 43% in 2023.[45]

Branding in the environmental protection industry

  • 6.1 out of 10 was the average trust rating for Australian water providers in the 2025 WSAA customer-perceptions survey.[39]
  • 89% of utility social-media leaders identified managing, developing or protecting the brand as a top social-media objective in 2021.[44]
  • 6.0 out of 10 was the average Australian water-provider reputation rating in the 2025 WSAA customer-perceptions survey.[39]

Social media in the environmental protection industry

  • 250,000 people were reached by a Louisville Water social-media post about halting shutoffs in 2020.[46]
  • 0.81 out of 3 was the average perceived effectiveness of Facebook for getting questions answered by a water utility in the 2020 Washington-area survey.[47]
  • 76% of utilities considered outage communications the most important social-media content topic under normal circumstances in the cited utility study.[48]
  • 60% of Clean Water Services customers used social media for community information in 2025, compared with 43% in 2023.[45]
  • 0.91 was the average trust score for social media as a drinking-water or wastewater information source among 824 metropolitan Washington residents in 2022.[47]

Influencer Marketing in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 55% of B2B marketers globally were already using influencers in 2025, while another 29% planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year.[49]
  • 56% of B2B buyers who use creators in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and India relied on creator input during the final buying stage in 2026.[50]
  • 81% of B2B marketers using creators across five markets said in 2026 that reducing creator activity would leave revenue opportunities untapped.[50]
  • 43% of surveyed B2B marketers reported outstanding results from their influencer programs in the 2025 global B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[51]
  • 58% of B2B marketing teams globally used an always-on influencer marketing approach in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[51]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational execution is measured through costs, yield, and network scale. For example, Republic Services operated 367 collection operations in 2024, and Waste Management’s operating-cost ratio improved to 60.7% of revenue in 2024.

Process optimization in the environmental protection industry

  • 8.9% was Clean Harbors’ total direct-revenue growth in 2024, reaching $5.89 billion across Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions.[52]
  • $16.0 billion was Republic Services’ 2024 revenue, with standardized business practices used alongside local operating management to improve operating efficiency across its network in North America.[53]
  • 24 acquisitions were completed by Waste Connections in 2024, expanding its environmental-services operating footprint in North America.[53]
  • 7.0% was the 2024 revenue growth of Veolia’s Water Technologies and New Solutions activities, driven mainly by desalination projects and engineering and chemical-solutions activity.[21]
  • 6.4% was Veolia’s constant-scope-and-exchange-rate revenue growth in waste activities in 2024, supported by tariff reviews, recyclate prices and volume effects across its international operations.[21]

Operational efficiency in the environmental protection industry

  • 6.9% was Waste Management’s landfill yield growth in the first quarter of 2026, primarily driven by municipal solid waste.[53]
  • 10% was the approximate decrease in Waste Management’s average diesel-fuel market price in 2024, reducing fleet and landfill-equipment fuel costs.[53]
  • 2.9% was Clean Harbors’ increase in Environmental Services cost of revenues in 2025, lower than its 10.0% revenue growth for the segment.[54]
  • 12% was Republic Services’ 2024 adjusted EBITDA growth, reaching $4.98 billion across its environmental-services operations.[53]
  • 60.7% of Waste Management’s revenue was consumed by operating costs in 2024, compared with 61.7% in 2023, indicating improved operating-cost efficiency.[53]

Quality management in the environmental protection industry

  • 75 recycling centers were operated by Republic Services in 2024, supporting material-recovery and recycling-quality management.[53]
  • 14 deep-injection wells were operated by Republic Services in 2024 for specialized waste-treatment and disposal activities.[53]
  • 367 collection operations were operated by Republic Services in 2024, covering residential, commercial and industrial customers in North America.[53]
  • 5 saltwater-disposal wells were operated by Republic Services in 2024 as part of its environmental-solutions infrastructure.[53]
  • 248 transfer stations were operated by Republic Services in 2024, supporting collection, transfer and disposal quality control across its service network.[53]

Supply chain in the environmental protection industry

  • $744 million was Waste Management’s 2024 disposal and franchise fees and taxes, equal to 3.4% of revenue.[53]
  • $2.24 billion was Waste Management’s 2024 subcontractor cost, equal to 10.2% of revenue and reflecting outsourced transportation and collection activity.[53]
  • $1.33 billion was Waste Management’s 2024 transfer-and-disposal cost, equal to 6.0% of revenue across its waste-management network.[53]
  • $524 million was Waste Management’s 2024 landfill operating cost, equal to 2.4% of revenue and covering landfill operating and environmental-management activities.[53]
  • $351 million was Waste Management’s 2024 risk-management cost, equal to 1.6% of revenue across its environmental-services operations.[53]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the environmental and waste services sector (sector benchmark)

  • U.S. waste treatment and disposal services cross-border exports totaled $17 million in 2021, compared with $3.6 billion in foreign-affiliate sales.[55]
  • U.S. waste management and remediation services affiliates recorded $3.6 billion in sales to foreign customers in 2021.[55]
  • 66% of companies surveyed globally in 2024 were outsourcing facilities or utility management.[56]
  • 40% of companies surveyed globally in 2024 were delegating waste management to specialized partners, while 33% were considering it.[56]
  • 56% of companies surveyed globally in 2024 were using performance contracts for sustainability-related services.[56]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Finance signals tie profitability to service mix and cost ratios. Republic Services reported $4.98 billion adjusted EBITDA in 2024, while Clean Harbors reduced its Environmental Services cost-of-revenue ratio to 66.7% in 2025.

Pricing strategy in the environmental protection industry

  • 0.5% was Veolia’s 2024 contribution from recyclate-price changes to waste-business revenue growth.[21]
  • 2.5% was Veolia’s 2024 commerce, volume and works contribution to waste-business revenue growth.[21]
  • 3.8% was Veolia’s 2024 tariff-review contribution to waste-business revenue growth.[21]
  • 18.9 million was the net price-and-volume revenue effect reported for environmental service contracts in 2024 by the company filing the figure with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[53]
  • 4.5% was Waste Management’s 2024 average-yield increase for total collection and disposal services.[53]

Cost reduction in the environmental protection industry

  • 2.9% was Clean Harbors’ 2025 increase in Environmental Services cost of revenues, while segment revenue increased 10.9%.[54]
  • 10% was the approximate decline in Waste Management’s average diesel-fuel market price in 2024, lowering fuel costs for collection and landfill operations.[53]
  • 0.6 percentage points was the reduction in Clean Harbors’ Environmental Services cost-of-revenue ratio from 2023 to 2024, to 67.3%.[52]
  • 0.6 percentage points was the reduction in Clean Harbors’ Environmental Services cost-of-revenue ratio from 2024 to 2025, to 66.7%.[54]
  • 0.6 percentage points was the decline in Waste Management’s operating-cost ratio from 2023 to 2024, to 60.7% of revenue.[53]

Profitability in the environmental protection industry

  • $4.98 billion was Republic Services’ adjusted EBITDA in 2024 across its recycling, waste and environmental-solutions businesses.[53]
  • 28.9% was GFL Environmental’s Environmental Services adjusted EBITDA margin in the fourth quarter of 2024.[57]
  • $3.20 billion was Republic Services’ 2024 operating income, compared with $2.78 billion in 2023.[53]
  • $2.35 billion was Republic Services’ 2024 adjusted EBITDA for its Group 1 operating segment.[53]
  • 12.7% was Republic Services’ 2024 net-income margin.[53]

Financial planning in the environmental protection industry

  • 9.6% was the share of Veolia’s 2024 revenue generated by hazardous-waste activities.[21]
  • 25.5% was the share of Veolia’s 2024 revenue generated by solid waste activities.[21]
  • $2.18 billion was Republic Services’ adjusted free cash flow in 2024, supporting capital allocation and shareholder returns.[53]
  • €44.69 billion was Veolia’s total 2024 revenue across water, waste, energy and related environmental activities.[21]
  • $1.86 billion was Waste Management’s 2024 capital expenditure, according to its annual financial reporting.[53]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product and service activity is visible through R&D reporting and adoption of service technologies. In 2023, 3,110 U.S. companies reported environmental-protection R&D activity and spent $11.252 billion.

Product development in the environmental protection industry

  • 3,110 U.S. companies reported environmental-protection R&D activity in 2023, spending $11.252 billion on that work.[58]
  • 32% of Canadian cleantech firms in waste and recycling were at the commercial-and-sales stage of core product development in 2022.[59]
  • 26% of Canadian cleantech firms in waste and recycling were at the demonstration-and-testing stage of core product development in 2022.[59]
  • 21% of Canadian cleantech firms in air, environment and remediation were at the demonstration-and-testing stage of core product development in 2022.[59]
  • 32% of Canadian cleantech firms in water and wastewater were at the commercial-and-sales stage of core product development in 2022.[59]

Product lifecycle in the environmental protection industry

  • 49 million tonnes was the estimated global end-use volume of gasoline additives in the chemical lifecycle study.[60]
  • 7.1 million tonnes was the estimated global end-use volume of PVC in the chemical lifecycle study.[60]
  • 19 million tonnes was the estimated global end-use volume of HDPE and LDPE in the chemical lifecycle study.[60]
  • 7.4 million tonnes was the estimated global end-use volume of polypropylene in the chemical lifecycle study.[60]
  • 7 to 10 years was the average optimal service life for automated side-load waste-collection vehicles in the City of San Diego analysis.[61]

After-sales in the environmental protection industry

  • $2.304 billion was Waste Management’s net income attributable to the company in 2023.[53]
  • $800 billion was the estimated 2025 revenue of China’s environmental operations-and-maintenance services segment.[62]
  • $2.746 billion was Waste Management’s net income attributable to the company in 2024.[53]
  • $5.66 was Waste Management’s diluted earnings per share in 2023.[53]
  • $6.81 was Waste Management’s diluted earnings per share in 2024.[53]

Value proposition in the environmental protection industry

  • 45% of innovative R&D-active companies in OECD countries reported an environmental-benefit innovation during the previous three years.[63]
  • 31% of innovative non-R&D-active firms in OECD countries reported an environmental-benefit innovation during the previous three years.[63]
  • 40% of innovative companies in the median OECD country reported an environmental-benefit innovation during the previous three years.[63]
  • 25% of CDP services-sector respondents identified water-related business opportunities in 2022.[64]
  • 54% of large innovative companies in OECD countries reported an environmental-benefit innovation during the previous three years.[63]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability and ethics are tracked via emissions, reporting channels, and investment commitments. Republic Services reported a 37% reduction in total fleet emissions from 2017 to 2025, and WM recorded 2,987 potential-misconduct reports in 2024.

Sustainability in the environmental protection industry

  • $2.8 billion was planned for WM recycling and renewable natural gas investments from 2022 through 2026 in North America.[65]
  • 1,039 million cubic metres of collected and treated wastewater were reused by Veolia in 2024 across its reporting perimeter.[66]
  • 545,000 tons of annual recycling capacity were added by WM in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 105 recycling facilities were operated by WM in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 16 million tons of material were recovered for recycling by WM in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]

ESG in the environmental protection industry

  • 9 renewable natural gas projects were launched by Republic Services by 2025 in the United States.[67]
  • 13,000 acres of open space were preserved at Republic Services landfills by 2025 in the United States.[67]
  • 22% of WM board directors were from minority groups in 2021 in the United States.[18]
  • 37% was Republic Services’ reduction in total fleet emissions from 2017 to 2025 in the United States.[67]
  • 23% safer than the industry average was Republic Services’ reported safety performance in 2025 in the United States.[67]

Ethics in the environmental protection industry

  • 39% of WM potential-misconduct reports were submitted through the confidential Integrity Helpline in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 75% of WM potential-misconduct reports concerned employment-practices matters in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 2,987 reports of potential misconduct were recorded by WM in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 62% of WM potential-misconduct reports were submitted through the confidential Integrity Helpline in 2021 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 15% of WM potential-misconduct reports concerned other code-of-conduct matters in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]

CSR in the environmental protection industry

  • 1% of WM net income was directed to targeted social-impact and workforce-development programs in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 15 Major League Baseball clubs and 11 additional sports venues received WM sustainability advisory services by 2024 in the United States.[18]
  • $27.6 million was contributed by WM to charitable causes and targeted social-impact programs in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • $11.4 million was allocated by WM to Your Tomorrow educational benefits in 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • $1 billion was invested by Republic Services in sustainability initiatives by 2025 in the United States.[67]

Circular economy in the environmental protection industry

  • 68% of waste managed by Australia’s waste and resource-recovery industry was recovered in 2024–25 nationally.[68]
  • 10.8% of EU waste generated in 2024 came from waste and water services across the European Union.[7]
  • 65% of EU waste generated in 2024 consisted of major mineral waste across the European Union.[7]
  • 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste were generated globally in 2023 across all regions served by the waste-management industry.[69]
  • 68.8 million tonnes of waste were generated in Australia’s waste and resource-recovery industry scope in 2024–25 nationally.[68]

Carbon footprint in the environmental protection industry

  • 41% of SUEZ’s Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions came from energy-from-waste activities in 2024 worldwide.[28]
  • 13,377,373 metric tonnes of landfill-gas emissions were reported by WM in 2023 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 80% of WM landfill gas was captured in 2023 in the United States and Canada.[18]
  • 36% of SUEZ’s 2024 greenhouse-gas emissions came from Scope 1 activities worldwide.[28]
  • 22% was WM’s reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions from 2021 to 2024 in the United States and Canada.[18]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Globalization shows up as multi-country operating footprints and customer-base composition. In 2024, Veolia had permanent operations in 56 countries and reported 26.7% of revenue from outside France, Europe and water technologies.

Globalization in the environmental protection industry

  • 11.9% of Veolia’s worldwide employees were located in Latin America in 2024.[21]
  • 26.7% of Veolia’s 2024 revenue came from the rest of the world outside France, Europe and water technologies.[21]
  • 56 countries hosted Veolia’s permanent operations in 2024.[21]
  • 86.8 billion dollars was the 2023 environmental-services revenue reported by ENR’s U.S. Top 200 firms.[20]
  • €44.7 billion was Veolia’s 2024 revenue from water, waste and energy activities worldwide.[21]

Cultural adaptation in the environmental protection industry

  • 44% of Veolia’s 2024 customer base consisted of industrial customers with site-specific environmental requirements.[21]
  • 400 stakeholders participated in Veolia’s “+1” initiative in 2024.[21]
  • 56% of Veolia’s 2024 customer base consisted of municipal customers, reflecting locally administered service markets.[21]
  • 81% of Veolia employees trusted the Group’s ability to achieve its ecological-transformation goal in 2024.[21]
  • 56 countries required Veolia to operate through locally established environmental-services activities in 2024.[21]

Supplier management in the environmental protection industry

  • 61,700 people worked for WM in 2024, supporting its collection, processing and environmental-services supply chain.[18]
  • 213 natural-gas fueling stations supported WM’s environmental-services fleet in 2024.[18]
  • 151 landfill-gas beneficial-use projects were operated by WM in 2024.[18]
  • 105 recycling facilities formed WM’s processing network in 2024.[18]
  • 262 active landfills were operated by WM in 2024.[18]

Stakeholder management in the environmental protection industry

  • 43 million people received waste-collection services from Veolia in 2024.[21]
  • 88% was Veolia’s employee-engagement rate in 2024.[21]
  • 15.2 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent were eliminated through Veolia activities in 2024.[21]
  • 44% of Veolia’s customers were industrial clients in 2024.[21]
  • 400 stakeholders engaged in Veolia’s “+1” initiative in 2024.[21]

Distribution channels in the environmental protection industry

  • 845 waste-processing facilities were operated by Veolia in 2025.[21]
  • 2,614 industrial sites were managed by Veolia in 2025.[21]
  • 3,202 wastewater-treatment plants were managed by Veolia in 2025.[21]
  • 3,825 drinking-water production plants were managed by Veolia in 2025.[21]
  • 97 million people were connected to wastewater systems managed by Veolia in 2025.[21]

Key questions about the environmental protection industry

How large is the environmental protection industry by region?
Japan’s environmental industry reached ¥130.3 trillion in 2023. The EU environmental economy generated €1.33 trillion of output in 2023, supporting 5.8 million full-time-equivalent jobs.
What growth outlook exists for Japan’s environmental industry?
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment projects the domestic environmental-industry market to reach approximately ¥146.8 trillion by 2050 versus ¥130.3 trillion in 2023.
Which companies lead the environmental protection industry?
Ecolab stands out in environmental protection because its water business helps customers improve industrial water efficiency, with 2% revenue growth and 17% operating margin, while Republic Services stands out since it provides recycling, waste and environmental solutions across North America, backed by a 19.9% operating margin and 3.5% revenue growth.
How is technology changing operations in environmental protection?
In 2026, 92% of energy, resources, and industrials companies expected to customize AI agents for their business needs, while 85% of surveyed EHS+ organizations were operating with manual, disconnected, or partially integrated tools.
What does market structure look like for U.S. environmental technology and services?
The U.S. environmental-technology market is structurally fragmented in water services: approximately 4,300 utilities supplied about 80% of U.S. drinking water and treated almost half of wastewater.
What are the most material regulatory and compliance drivers in this industry?
Environmental regulation remains a major demand driver through pollution-control, waste, water and emissions requirements, and the EU ETS raised more than €288 billion from allowance auctions since 2013 by mid-October 2026.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Environmental Protection Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/environmental-protection-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Environmental Protection Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/environmental-protection-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Environmental Protection Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/environmental-protection-industry-statistics.

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