IBISWorld Platform
Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.
Recycling Facilities in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Recycling facilities continue to benefit from stabilization of macroeconomic conditions and higher commodity prices, which have resulted in higher demand for processed products such as plastic bottles and paper towels. Greater consumer activity and the return-to-office trend continued boosting commercial activity and generated larger quantities of waste that required input from recycling facilities. Online purchases require more cardboard to deliver, leading to a surge in waste generation for the industry's largest recyclable. Although higher commodity costs amid an inflationary spike, which peaked at 9.1% in 2022, created sharper price fluctuations for paper and plastic products, it also generated larger return rates for recycling facilities involved with recyclable goods sales directly to manufacturers. Revenue grew at a CAGR of 1.3% to an estimated $9.0 billion through the end of 2025, including an anticipated 0.5% boost in 2025 alone.
Access this data your way
The Recycling Facilities in the US Industry analysis is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
API Data Delivery
Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.
Integrations
Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.
What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released August 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Recycling Facilities industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 56292. Recycling facilities separate and sort recyclable materials like paper, plastic and glass from waste streams. These facilities also sort commingled recyclable materials into distinct categories and refine goods into recycled commodities, such as converting plastic bottles into raw plastic and selling recycled materials to manufacturers and wholesalers. This industry doesn't include government bodies that directly provide these services to the public. Related terms covered in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States include material recovery facility, processing facility, municipal solid waste, inorganic municipal solid waste, eddy current and deposit-refund system.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Recycling Facilities industry in the United States include Recyclable material recovery and processing services, Sales of recycled materials and Collection.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States include Waste Management, Inc. and Republic Services, 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 the United States.
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 the United States.
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 the United States.
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 the United States. 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 the United States. 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 the United States. 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 the United States. 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 the United States.
Trusted by industry professionals
More than 6,000 businesses use IBISWorld to shape local and global economies
We were able to supplement our reports with IBISWorld’s information from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint. All of our reporting now features some level of IBISWorld integration.
IBISWorld delivers the crisp business knowledge we need to drive our business. Whether it be serving up our major clients, winning new business or educating on industry issues, IBISWorld brings real value.
IBISWorld has revolutionised business information — which has proved commercially invaluable to exporters, investors and public policy professionals in Australia and overseas.
When you’re able to speak to clients and be knowledgeable about what they do and the state that they operate in, they’re going to trust you a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States is $9.0bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 1,020 businesses in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States?
The Recycling Facilities industry in the United States 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 the United States?
The Recycling Facilities industry in the United States 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 the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States are Waste Management, Inc. and Republic Services, Inc.
What does the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States include?
Recyclable material recovery and processing and Sale of recycled materials are part of the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States is Waste Management, Inc..
How competitive is the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Recycling Facilities industry in the United States.
Cut through the noise with intelligence you can trust
