U.S. Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Disposal Methods (Landfills, Incineration, and Recycling), By Source (Manufacturing, Iron and Steel, Pulp & Paper, Food & Beverage, Agriculture, and Others), By Application (Thermal Power Plant, Cement Kiln, and Others), Zonal Forecast, 2024-2032

The U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market size was valued at USD 172.69 million in 2023. The market is projected to be worth USD 182.83 million in 2024 and reach USD 307.23 million by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.70% during the forecast period.

Non-hazardous industrial waste (WtE) technology has been developed and implemented in the U.S. for decades. It utilizes everyday industrial leftovers, including metal, wood, and food scraps, to generate usable energy, such as electricity and heat, offering potential environmental benefits, which include reduced landfill burden and cleaner energy sources. These technologies facilitate the ecological impact of waste and provide a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources.

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted the global economy by bringing the operations of key industries to a halt, including the waste recovery and energy generation industries. To slow the spread of the pandemic, lockdowns were imposed in various countries, which limited operations with fewer employees and reduced working hours. The U.S. solid waste management system faced both opportunities and risks during the COVID-19. Moreover, the government took various initiatives to focus on sustainable waste management to prevent the occurrence of pandemics and diseases.

U.S. Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Market Trends

Increasing Energy Demand and Waste Collection Opening Opportunities for the Market

The growing world population is accumulating waste. According to the Census forecast, the city's population will be about 388.9 million by 2050 and 404.5 million by 2060, at a growth percentage 25.2%. Additionally, Americans estimate that the population will have grown by 0.5% by 2024. With the existing population, the country generates almost 300 million thousand tons of municipal solid waste annually, with at least 35% not being disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Therefore, waste generation is slated to increase enormously in the coming years, given the growing population and available money.

Furthermore, waste generation associated with the growing consumption of packaged foods is poised to accumulate significantly as the country's middle class expands. In addition, the country's growing urban population, leading to lifestyle changes, is expected to boost waste generation. Moreover, electricity demand is another important factor that needs to be addressed in the face of increasing environmental pollution. As per the (EIA) US Energy Information Administration, electricity demand fell from a record 4,048 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2022 to 3,984 million kWh in 2023 and expected to rise to 4,068 million kWh in 2024 as economic growth increases. To link the gap between supply and demand, waste energy recovery could be a choice for most countries to lessen waste and generate electricity.

U.S. Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Market Growth Factors

Increasing Government Waste-to-Energy Initiatives and Policies to Boost Awareness is Propelling the Market Growth

Strict government regulations in response to rising greenhouse gas emissions are expected to push green technology manufacturers to keep up with innovative technologies that help create cleaner energy, ultimately driving market expansion. The industry's volatility is complemented by ongoing initiatives to deploy green technologies, particularly WTE systems. The market is expected to flourish due to stringent government regulations on municipal solid waste management from commercial and private enterprises. Several new waste incineration projects are emerging around the U.S.

In the U.S., the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is actively promoting technology options for energy generation from municipal and industrial waste. MNRE also promotes waste-to-energy research by providing financial support for R&D projects on a cost-sharing basis in line with its R&D policy. In the country, there are several federal and state policies regarding waste-to-energy. Moreover, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) require utilities to make a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources, including converting energy from waste. RPS was introduced in 29 states and Washington D.C. as of 2021, which has helped boost demand for renewable energy sources, including conversion to energy from waste.

Growing Application of Waste Management Services to Bolster Market Growth

Waste management remains one of the biggest challenges in major emerging countries. Agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities generate over a million tons of waste. Waste management techniques, such as thermochemical processes, can help end users transform waste management into a revenue opportunity for various applications such as food processing, dairy farming, and wastewater treatment. In thermochemical treatment, waste is converted into usable heat or steam during thermal treatment, and this heat or steam is used to drive a turbine and generate electricity.

Companies in the U.S. use different thermal processes to generate energy. These mechanisms include incineration, in which the waste generated is completely burned to produce heat, and pyrolysis, which is burned under optimal conditions. Pyrolysis and gasification are the processes in which the waste is partially burned to have an intermediate for the energy recovery or recycling to form, and the plasma arc treatment, among others. In addition, heating activity accounts for about 40% of electricity consumption in various dairy farms. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2022, 63 U.S. power plants generated approximately 12.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity from burning about 26.6 million tons of combustible MSW for electricity generation. Wte sites reduce 2,000 pounds of waste to ash that weighs over 300 - 600 pounds and reduce the total volume of waste by 87%.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Costly and Time-consuming Nature of Waste Disposal and Energy Generation May Hamper the Market Growth

Waste-to-energy technologies are designed to process different types of waste, such as biomass and plastics. It is generally challenging for companies to segregate different types of waste or to conclude the exact configuration of the source of waste. Current encounters include the efficient pretreatment of segregated waste before the incineration process. Most waste-to-energy technologies feature either low efficiency or take longer periods to sort the waste input. Collecting and processing the resulting waste is a time-consuming process and is expected to remain challenging for U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market growth over the forecast period.

Several factors influence the choice of WtE technology, and each country must have a specific context to implement the most sensible solutions. This has caused the WtE sector to be very complex & fragmented in terms of policies and regulations with significant untapped potential. In addition, WtE is often viewed as a costly option for waste treatment, disposal, and energy production compared to other fossil fuel-powered alternatives. There is a discrepancy as the environmental and social benefits of WtE are not valued compared to established renewable options such as wind and solar energy. In addition, generating energy from waste suffers from the limited availability of resources. This limits the power generation capacity compared to other conventional energy resources, which is why special considerations are needed, such as the availability and stable supply of raw materials, the choice of technology, and the appropriate regulatory framework.

U.S. Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Market Segmentation Analysis

By Disposal Methods Analysis

Fewer Emissions Generated by Landfills to Augment the Segment Expansion

Based on disposal methods, the U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market is segmented into landfills, incineration, and recycling.

The landfills segment dominates the market. Landfills are a convenient and relatively cheap means of disposing of non-recyclable waste. It is a more space-efficient option and generates fewer emissions than incineration. Moreover, with more importance given to the circular economy concept, it has defined waste materials' worth as fuel feedstock. Thus, these factors are bolstering the landfills segment growth.

The incineration is the second leading segment after landfills in the U.S. market for non-hazardous industrial waste. It is one of the methods of waste treatment involving the burning of organic materials found in waste. Waste incinerators generally have higher efficiency and lower emissions than landfills, which has geared their increasing adoption. Incineration plays a vibrant role in making waste management more accessible and efficient.

By Source Analysis

Manufacturing Segment Dominates Due to Great Potential for Waste Reduction

Based on source, the U.S. market for non-hazardous industrial waste is segmented into manufacturing, iron and steel, pulp & paper, food & beverage, agriculture, and others.

The manufacturing segment dominates the market as manufacturing facilities produce a large amount of industrial waste during their daily operations. As manufacturing facilities are one of the major producers of waste, they also have great potential for reducing & recycling waste and reducing their emissions.

Agriculture waste is taking over the U.S. market for non-hazardous industrial waste after manufacturing waste. Agricultural waste products are a feasible choice for water and wastewater remediation due to their unique nature, abundant availability, chemical composition, low cost, and renewable nature. Since agricultural waste has a low ash content and moderate hardness, it is a promising source for producing activated carbon.

By Application Analysis

Large Waste Chunk by Thermal Power Plants to Foster the Segment Growth

Based on application, the U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market is segmented into thermal power plant, cement kiln, and others.

The thermal power plant segment dominates the market. In the U.S., thermal power plants burn waste to generate electricity. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), over the last decade, waste-to-energy plants in the U.S. have developed around 14,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity every year. They handle a large chunk of waste, reducing its volume and offering reliable power.

Cement kiln is witnessing a significant growth and expected to grow at a fast pace over the forecast period. Using waste as an alternative fuel in cement kilns is the EPA's highest-rated and approved technology for energy-containing waste. Cement kilns have the highest waste destruction rate of over 99.999%. With the increase in the construction and infrastructure industry, the expansion of cement kilns is increasing with a direct correlation to the use of waste in the kiln, which is expected to grow.

By Zone Analysis

Based on zone, the U.S. market for non-hazardous industrial waste has been analyzed across four key regions, including West, Midwest, Northeast, and South.

The Northeast zone of the U.S. dominates U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market share in 2023, accounting for over 74% of the total installed Wte capacity in the country. Moreover, the U.S. has plants located throughout the country. Still, the majority are present in the country's urban and densely populated North East and East coast, predominantly in New York and the State of Florida. Moreover, new projects are in progress and planned to be developed. For instance, in 2023, Miami-Dade County, Florida, approved a USD 65 million contract to set up a new WTE plant in Florida. The new plant is being planned and discussed because the Doral Covanta-run facility was shut down due to a forest fire.

After the Northeast, the Midwest zone of the U.S. market for non-hazardous industrial waste has a few waste-to-energy sites, followed by the West and South Zone. With technological advancements, the U.S. has made the conversion of industrial waste into energy more efficient and cost-effective. With further research and development, all Wte sites will continue growing in the U.S. The state has applied a statewide recycling program that needs municipalities to develop recycling plans and meet certain recycling objectives to manage industrial and other waste, thus driving growth throughout the U.S.

List of Key Companies in U.S. Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste Market

Companies Focus on Catering to Customers’ Demands to Strengthen Their Position

The U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market is highly fragmented, with many players delivering a wide range of technology and services across the U.S. value chain. Numerous waste management companies are actively operating in the country to meet end-use customers' waste management solution demands in various industrial sectors. Veolia is a renowned U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste management player offering many solutions. The company has a strong market presence and diverse product portfolio, catering to industrial, commercial, and residential waste.

List of Key Companies Profiled:

• Veolia (France)


• Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. (England)


• SUEZ SA (France)


• Waste Management Inc. (U.S.)


• Covanta (U.S.)


• Enerkem (Canada)


• Ramboll Group (Denmark)


• Enexor BioEnergy (U.S.)


• Martin GmbH (Germany)


• Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc. (U.S.)


• VLS Environmental Solutions (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• December 2023- WIN Waste Innovations became the first company to operate fully electric trash trucks in Boston. The vehicles in the region will be powered by the energy generated from the waste collected.


• November 2023- Veolia North America acquired the U.S. Industrial Technologies (USIT). It expanded its hazardous waste market share in the U.S. USIT is a Michigan-based technology that manages industrial waste for small and large businesses, manufacturers, and municipalities.


• November 2023- Vision RNG and WIN Waste Innovations partnered to build two projects to convert LFG to RNG at WIN Waste’s Seneca County landfill in Seneca County, Ohio, and its Tunnel Hill Reclamation landfill in Perry County, Ohio.  Vision RNG is a developer of projects designed to convert landfill gas (LFG) to valuable renewable natural gas (RNG), whereas WIN Waste Innovations is a sustainable waste services provider.


• September 2023- WM announced the opening of a nearly 100,000-square-foot recycling facility in Cleveland. The state-of-the-art technology used in the new facility will allow the processing of up to 420 thousand tons of recyclable materials daily. It includes glass recovery equipment, optical sorters, bagless screens, and ballistic separators. It is designed to help expand the region's recycling programs and produce higher-quality material for customers.


• March 2023- WIN Waste Innovations announced to launch a local food waste pickup partnership for residents of underserved communities in Baltimore that it hopes can expand throughout the city. It is a partnership with nonprofit organics recycler 4MyCiTy, where they are expecting to collect roughly 660,000 pounds of food waste from residents.

REPORT COVERAGE

The report provides a detailed analysis of the U.S. non-hazardous industrial waste market and focuses on key aspects such as the competition landscape, product/service types, and leading applications of the product. Besides this, it offers insights into the market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the factors above, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years.

Report Scope & Segmentation