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Recycling Facilities in Canada Industry Data and Analysis
Canadian recycling facilities have weathered volatile economic conditions over the past five years, buoyed by the continued expansion of local recycling initiatives, a higher emphasis on sustainable waste removal and major company investments that have expanded recycling capabilities. Material recycling facilities (MRFs) range from small companies with labour-intensive processes to large-scale MRFs that employ machinery to process recyclables. Nonetheless, all were impacted by volatile commodity prices, which have oscillated unevenly over the past five years, resulting in inconsistent revenue growth. Individual provinces have also worked to promote recycling by creating comprehensive recycling programs and passing even more stringent regulations, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines. By requiring producers of recyclable materials to contribute to these programs, funding levels and broader recycling viability have risen over the past five years. Technological change and the adoption of automation have also led to a national shift toward non-paper recycling, as companies like Waste Management Inc. and GFL Environmental have invested capital in modernizing their internal sorting processes. Revenue grew at a CAGR of 6.0% to an estimated $1.1 billion over the past five years, including an estimated 1.4% slip in 2025 alone.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released December 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Recycling Facilities industry in Canada operates under the NAICS industry code 56292CA. The Recycling Facilities industry in Canada operates material recovery facilities that separate and sort recyclable materials from nonhazardous waste streams (i.e. garbage). Operators also sort commingled recyclable materials, such as paper, plastics, used beverage cans and metals into distinct categories. Related terms covered in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada include hazardous waste , landfill, transfer facility, eddy current and material recovery facility (mrf).
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Recycling Facilities industry in Canada include Paper materials, Organic and Metals.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada include GFL Environmental Inc., Waste Management Inc. and Waste Connections Inc.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada in 2026?
The market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada is $1.1bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada in 2025?
There are 290 businesses in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada?
The Recycling Facilities industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada?
The Recycling Facilities industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 6.0 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada?
The biggest companies operating in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada are GFL Environmental Inc., Waste Management Inc. and Waste Connections Inc.
What does the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada include?
Recycling paper materials and Recycling metals are part of the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada?
The company holding the most market share in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada is GFL Environmental Inc..
How competitive is the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Recycling Facilities industry in Canada.
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