Career Center

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) is the voice for the private-sector waste and recycling industry that is essential to maintaining the quality of American life. The delivery of waste and recycling services impacts all residential, commercial and industrial properties on a daily basis. Our mission is to provide leadership, advocacy, research, education and safety expertise to promote the waste and recycling industry. NWRA’s goal is to create a favorable business climate where our members can prosper and provide safe, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible services and jobs that benefit communities throughout America. Association members operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and can be found in most, if not all, U.S. congressional districts. Waste and recycling facilities number nearly 18,000 scattered throughout the U.S., mirroring population centers. Our more than 600 members are a mix of publicly-traded and privately-owned local, regional, and Fortune 500 national and international companies. NWRA represents approximately 70 percent of the private sector waste and recycling market. NWRA members: •Collect, process and manage waste,... recyclables, organics and medical waste •Operate and manage landfills in compliance with all federal and state laws •Manage and service truck fleets and collection vehicles •Design, manufacture, sell and service equipment and supplies •Provide engineering and consulting services The solid waste industry directly employs more than 480,000 people as of late 2022 with a total payroll of $32.9 billion. It is estimated that the private sector waste and recycling industry accounts for over one million jobs and generates nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in U.S. GDP. The industry’s publicly traded companies are among the largest components of the Dow Jones U.S. Waste & Disposal Index (DJUSPC). NWRA convenes a number of institutes that provide leadership on Landfills, Recycling, and Healthcare Waste. Our Safety Committee provides insights and best practices to prevent injuries to industry workers. The association also serves as Secretariat for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z245 Committee on Equipment Technology and Operations for Wastes and Recyclable Materials. Along with our partner Informa, we collaborate on WasteExpo, North America’s largest waste and recycling exposition and conference. Our educational offerings are known and respected around the world. Founded in 1962 as the National Council of Refuse Disposal Trade Associations, the association went through name changes and mergers before becoming NWRA in 2013. For more information about how innovation in the waste and recycling industry is helping to solve today’s environmental challenges, visit www.wasterecycling.org.