Waste and recycling market set to top $96.1 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company forecasts the global waste and recycling market will surpass $96.1 billion by 2030, driven by stricter regulations, urbanization and digital tools such as low-code platforms and AI. Asia-Pacific is projected to become the largest regional market, while the U.S. remains the biggest national market.

Why it matters: - The waste and recycling market is expanding as governments, companies and cities spend more on collection, sorting, recycling and treatment infrastructure. - The sector is being reshaped by regulatory pressure, sustainability targets and digital automation. - The forecast signals growing demand for technologies that improve compliance, efficiency and material recovery.

What happened: - The Business Research Company published its Waste And Recycling Global Market Report 2026 – Market Size, Trends, And Forecast 2026-2035. - The report forecasts the global waste and recycling market will cross $96.1 billion by 2030. - The market is expected to grow at an 8% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - The report also says the broader services industry will reach $27,456 billion by 2030, leaving waste and recycling at nearly 0.3% of total market value. - The report was released in London on October 28, 2026. - A free sample request is available. - The full market report is also available.

The details: - Stricter environmental rules on landfill use, waste segregation, recycling mandates and emissions standards are adding about 1.5% annually to market growth. - Urbanization is adding about 1.4% annually as cities generate more municipal solid waste from packaged goods, electronics and food products. - Sustainability and circular economy initiatives are contributing about 1.0% per year by pushing reuse, recovery and recycling of materials. - Industrial waste is expected to be the largest waste type in 2030, at 48% of the market and about $46 billion. - Municipal waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste and other waste types are projected to add more than $31 billion in value by 2030. - Between 2025 and 2030, municipal waste is forecast to grow by $9 billion, industrial waste by $15 billion, hazardous waste by $5 billion and other waste by $2 billion. - Service segments include collection, transportation and disposal. - Application segments include packaging and consumer goods, construction, and landscaping or street maintenance.

Between the lines: - Low-code platforms are becoming a practical way to automate waste workflows, improve data visibility and simplify compliance reporting. - In May 2024, ISB Global Ltd. launched waste and recycling one, or WR1, a low-code platform for standardizing waste and recycling functions in the United States. - AI is also being integrated into sorting and operations to improve accuracy and efficiency. - The market remains fairly fragmented, with the top 10 companies accounting for just 14% of revenue in 2025. - Moderate barriers still shape competition, including environmental compliance requirements and the need for advanced recycling technology. - Veolia Environnement S.A. held the largest global market share in 2025 at about 2%. - Other major players include Waste Management Inc., Republic Services Inc., Remondis SE & Co. KG, Urbaser Sau, GFL Environmental Inc., PreZero International GmbH, Clean Harbors Inc., Waste Connections Inc. and Cleanaway Waste Management.

What's next: - Asia-Pacific is projected to become the largest regional market by 2030 at $37 billion, up from $23 billion in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a 10% CAGR, driven by urbanization, population growth and investment in waste segregation, waste-to-energy projects and recycling plants. - The U.S. is projected to remain the largest national market at $22 billion in 2030, up from $16 billion in 2025. - U.S. growth is expected to come from smart collection tools, recycled-material demand, landfill diversion efforts and more automation in sorting and processing. - Competitive pressure is likely to intensify as companies expand infrastructure and invest more in sustainability tools.

The bottom line: - Waste and recycling is shifting from a traditional utilities business into a technology-enabled, regulation-driven growth market.