Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Waste management
Founded	1981
Headquarters	United States
Area served	North America
Key people	Jon Vander Ark (CEO)
Products	Waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, energy conversion of non-hazardous solid waste
Owner	Cascade Investment (35.1%)

Republic Services, Inc. stands as a prominent waste management company in North America, focusing on the collection, transfer, disposal, recycling, and energy conversion of non-hazardous solid waste. It holds the position of the second-largest waste disposal firm in the United States by revenue, trailing only behind Waste Management. The company's primary activities encompass waste collection, transfer operations, landfill disposal, materials recovery, recycling initiatives, and renewable energy development. Cascade Investment, managed by Bill Gates, possesses a 35.1% ownership interest in the firm.

The company operates an extensive infrastructure that includes 367 collection sites, 248 transfer facilities, 75 recycling centers, 208 active landfills, along with various treatment and disposal units. Additionally, Republic Services runs 79 projects focused on landfill gas-to-energy conversion and other renewable energy ventures while overseeing post-closure care for 125 decommissioned landfills.

Among its assets is the largest landfill in the United States—a sprawling 2,200-acre property located in Apex, Nevada. Republic also manages the Bridgeton Landfill near St. Louis, Missouri, which has drawn scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Agency due to environmental concerns.

History

The company’s origins trace back to 1981 when it was established as a waste disposal enterprise under the name Republic Industries.

In 1995, Wayne Huizenga, previously chairman of Waste Management, invested $64 million and secured an additional $168 million to acquire control of the company, subsequently assuming the role of chairman.

Republic Industries underwent a corporate restructuring in July 1998 by spinning off Republic Services through an initial public offering and subsequently rebranding itself as AutoNation.

In 2008, Republic Services received a takeover offer from Waste Management valued at $6.73 billion.

At the close of 2015, Republic Services inaugurated a $35 million recycling facility spanning 110,000 square feet in North Las Vegas. The plant features solar panels that provide power for several months annually and processes two million pounds of recycled paper daily using cutting-edge 2D and 3D optical sorting technologies. Plans were announced to expand its processing capacity to three million pounds per day.

In July 2016, Republic Services collaborated with Mas Energy to initiate a renewable energy project within the Atlanta metropolitan region. This project includes three landfill gas-to-energy plants generating a combined output of 24.1 megawatts—sufficient to supply electricity to more than 15,600 households. This effort highlights Republic’s dedication to transforming landfill gas into clean energy; as of mid-2016, the company operated 69 such facilities across the country.

January 2016 saw Republic Services commit $20 million toward consolidating 108 regional customer service centers into three centralized Customer Resource Centers situated in Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Chandler, Arizona. This reorganization was designed to improve customer experience while achieving annual cost savings estimated at $10 million.

In February 2016, North Carolina officials announced plans for the Charlotte center project, which was expected to generate over 350 new jobs and involve an investment of $6.8 million over three years.

By April 2017, the Fishers Customer Resource Center commenced operations with a workforce exceeding 250 employees and intentions to expand by an additional 120 staff members before year-end. The $13.6 million facility is projected to create up to 469 jobs by 2025.

In April 2015, Republic launched a landfill gas-to-energy initiative producing 20 megawatts at California’s Sunshine Canyon Landfill that supplies power to nearly 25,000 homes.

Boise, Idaho implemented a composting program in June 2017 with Republic Services acting as the waste hauler; within one month, more than 1,700 tons of compostable material were collected from single-family residences.

In May 2017, Republic collaborated with the Alabama Coastal Foundation to establish an oyster shell recycling program funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The initiative promotes sustainable oyster habitats and educates the public on recycling advantages.

Throughout 2017, Republic invested $29 million in solar energy projects across its landfills and other facilities. The company operates over 236,000 solar panels installed at nineteen locations nationwide with a total generating capacity of 80 megawatts—enough electricity to power roughly 208,000 households.

In September 2017, Republic Services and Soltage commissioned a solar installation delivering 13.5 megawatts in Massachusetts. Constructed on three former landfill sites with approximately 41,000 solar panels installed, this project provides electricity for nearly 1,900 homes while reducing carbon emissions by over 14,000 tons annually.

Acquisitions

#	Date	Company	Price	Asset Description
1	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Continental Waste Industries	$240 million	Services in solid waste management
2	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Meyer Waste Systems Inc.; Monarch Environmental Inc.; Rainbow Industries Inc.	$79 million in stock	Businesses specializing in waste management
3	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Taormina Industries	$250 million	Serving 1 million customers across Southern California
4	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Allied Waste Industries	$6.1 billion in stock	Elevated company to second largest U.S. waste management provider
5	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Rainbow Disposal		Waste disposal operations in Southern California
6	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	U.S. division of Alberta-based Tervita
7	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	ReCommunity		Largest independent recycling company in the United States
8	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Santek Waste Services	$450 million	Recycling and waste services mainly in the Southeastern U.S.
9	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	ACV Enviro		Environmental service provider acquired from Kinderhook Industries
10	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	River City Waste Services		Waste collection services in Illinois
11	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	US Ecology	$2.2 billion	Waste management and emergency response solutions
12	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Shamrock Environmental		Platform offering industrial waste and wastewater services.

Management

In December 1998, James E. O'Connor took over as CEO from Wayne Huizenga. After leading Republic Services for twelve years, O’Connor retired on January 1, 2011, with then-president and COO Don Slager assuming the CEO role. The board expanded to twelve members in 2018 with the addition of James P. Snee and Katharine Weymouth, eleven of whom are independent directors. Jon Vander Ark was appointed president in April 2019 and succeeded Slager as CEO in 2021 upon his retirement.

Corporate responsibility, sustainability, and innovation

Republic Services achieved a position within the top 10% of the Commercial Services and Supplies sector on the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability—North America Index™ (DJSI) and was uniquely the sole waste management company featured on the 2016 DJSI World Index. This distinction highlights its excellence in corporate governance, environmental responsibility, social commitment, and financial results.

The Blue Planet program underpins Republic’s sustainability efforts, concentrating on reducing emissions, optimizing materials management, enhancing safety standards, fostering community involvement, and advancing employee growth. Progress toward these objectives was detailed in the company’s 2017 Sustainability Report.

In September 2019, Republic became the first solid waste company in the United States to have emissions reduction goals endorsed by the Science Based Targets Initiative, consistent with the Paris Agreement commitments. That same year, Barron's recognized Republic among America’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for a second consecutive year. Forbes also listed Republic as one of the top employers for women, marking it as the only Arizona-based company honored.

The Recycling Simplified Education Program provided by Republic delivers K-12 curriculum materials and public educational resources on effective recycling practices, earning the award for Best Recycling Public Education Program in 2019.

In August 2018, Republic announced that its Pinehill Landfill located in Longview, Texas, would generate approximately 404 million cubic feet of renewable natural gas annually—equivalent to over 19 million gallons of gasoline—substantially cutting carbon emissions.

Lobbying

Annually, the company allocates approximately $600,000 towards lobbying efforts. In 2014, Republic Services donated $50,000 to Missouri Republican candidates and $20,000 to Missouri Democratic candidates for campaigns in both the House and Senate.

Legal and environmental matters

In 2008, Republic Services consented to a $1 million penalty along with up to $36 million in cleanup expenses related to alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at a closed landfill located in Clark County, Nevada. The previous year, California imposed a $725,000 fine on the company due to hazardous waste leakage from a closed landfill contaminating San Francisco Bay.

That same year, Republic acquired two defunct landfills in St. Louis—West Lake and Bridgeton. A smoldering incident was detected at the Bridgeton Landfill, causing concern because of its closeness to West Lake, an EPA Superfund site known for illegal disposal of low-level radioactive waste decades prior. Environmental organizations became involved amid worries over odors and potential contamination.

West Lake Landfill (Missouri)

The EPA has designated Republic Services as one of four potentially liable parties responsible for the Superfund cleanup at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri. This location contains radioactive materials and was featured in the 2017 HBO documentary Atomic Homefront.

In 2013, Republic proposed constructing a barrier to isolate the smoldering fire area from zones containing radioactive waste; however, uncertainty from the EPA regarding contamination delayed this initiative by over a year. To address criticism concerning the sluggish cleanup pace, Republic invested between $10,000 and $100,000 in advertising during 2015 and engaged representatives to counteract community activists on social media platforms.

By 2016, EPA research clarified the precise locations of radioactive waste, enabling barrier construction under specific conditions: Republic was required to install a cooling system within four months after beginning construction and extend a plastic liner over the northern quarry area. Additional monitoring equipment for temperature and sulfur dioxide was mandated to track emissions alongside a rapid-response protocol for detecting new hotspots. Mark Hague, EPA Region 7 Administrator, emphasized that these actions aim to restrict oxygen ingress and mitigate odors at the site.

Hurtado et al v. Rainbow Environmental Services and Republic Services (California)

In September 2017, both former and current employees of Republic Services at the former Rainbow Environmental Services waste transfer station in Huntington Beach, California initiated litigation under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 concerning the 2014 acquisition of the employee-owned firm by Republic Services. The lawsuit alleged that executive management engaged in "bad-faith dealings," including financing new enterprises and diverting ESOP assets, which resulted in losses for Rainbow’s ESOP while benefiting company executives. Plaintiffs also asserted that a corporate manager from Republic impersonated an attorney to intimidate potential claimants. Representing over 400 employees, the plaintiffs reached a $7.9 million settlement agreement in May 2021.

National Treasure Historic Wintersburg (California)

In October 2014, Republic Services purchased Rainbow Environmental Services in Huntington Beach, California, which included the National Treasure Historic Wintersburg site—an area significant for more than a century of Japanese American heritage. The property was listed among "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" in 2014 and earned designation as a "National Treasure" in 2015.

The Ocean View School District initiated legal action against Republic Services in 2013 regarding environmental impacts on nearby schools; this resulted in a 2016 settlement that barred expansion of operations onto the Historic Wintersburg property. Republic committed to preserving six historic buildings and agreed to engage with stakeholders about transforming the site into a heritage park.

In February 2018, Republic announced intentions to sell Historic Wintersburg for redevelopment as a self-storage facility, prompting opposition from historical preservationists, civil rights organizations, and Huntington Beach’s Historic Resources Board. As of 2022, Republic remains the owner of this endangered property; however, two of its oldest structures—the Wintersburg Japanese Mission and manse dating back to 1910—were lost due to fire and subsequent demolition that same February.