Recology diverts 1.4 million tons of materials from landfills, delivers on key sustainability goals in latest sustainability update

Recology is excited to announce the release of its 2024 Sustainability Update.

This year’s update highlights our commitments to partnering with local communities to advance resource recovery, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting a diverse workforce.

The update, based on 2023 data, shows Recology:

• Reduced scope 1 and 2 Emissions by 23% since 2018, including a 77% reduction in fuel emissions.
• Collected and/or processed 1.4 million tons of recyclable and compostable material combined, enough to avoid nearly 1.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gases—more than nine times the emissions created by the company’s operations.
• Recovered more than 1 million tons of compostable material—a 27 percent year-over-year increase.

“We remain focused on resource recovery, which uniquely positions Recology to play a key role in building a circular future while also reducing our climate impact,” said Recology CEO Sal Coniglio. “We also continue to work towards our climate targets of powering our facilities with 100% renewable or carbon-free electricity and beneficially using 75% of the landfill gas we collect to generate renewable energy by 2028.”

“These targets will continue to push our company to further decarbonize our operations and strengthen our role as a climate partner to our communities,” Coniglio added.

Recology owns and operates eight composting facilities in California and Oregon, including two of the largest on the West Coast. The company is helping cities up and down California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, comply with SB 1383, the statewide law requiring all municipalities to reduce landfilling of compostable materials by 75 percent.

Other highlights from the sustainability update include:

• 63% of Recology stock is beneficially owned by employee-owners who are women and/or members of an ethnic minority group
• Recology’s facilities were powered by 90% renewable or carbon-free electricity.
• The company is investing in projects to expand its landfill gas-to-energy systems and increase methane capture.
• Recology completed a $35 million modernization of its Santa Rosa materials recovery facility (MRF).
• And Recology Ostrom Organics, located in Wheatland, California, won the National Waste & Recycling Association’s 2023 Organics Management Facility of the Year award.

“As the largest 100% employee-owned company in our industry, we consider our diverse workforce essential to our success,” said Coniglio. “Our employee-owners are true sustainability leaders, committed to reducing waste and lowering our carbon footprint while providing best-in-class service to our communities, upholding our commitment to ethical business practices, and maintaining a safe work environment.”

Read the company’s 2024 Sustainability Update here:

recology.com/sustainability

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