Skip to main content
Back to wm.com
WM Completes Nearly $39 Million in Upgrades to Automate the WM Germantown Recycling Facility in Wisconsin

GERMANTOWN, Wis. – APRIL 19, 2024 – WM today announced completion of the nearly $39 million automation update of its Germantown Recycling Facility. The updated facility is expected to process up to 70 tons of material per hour.

“For decades, WM has played an integral role in making recycling a reality for local communities. This investment represents our ongoing commitment to enable sustainability progress for Wisconsin,” said Frank Fello, WM Upper Midwest Area Vice President. “This upgrade utilizes state-of-the-art equipment that focuses on optical sorting technologies that increases the amount of recycling we can process on behalf of local communities and businesses.”

These technological advancements are expected to allow the upgraded facility to:

  • Capture more types of plastics
     
  • Utilize intelligent sorting where conveyors and optical sorters communicate with each other and with technicians to improve material quality
     
  • Include a final optical sort line which sends missed recyclable material back for a second chance to be recovered.

This project is part of WM’s previously announced enterprise-wide plans to invest over $1 billion in new and upgraded recycling facilities across North America, which is expected to add approximately 2.8 million tons of incremental annual processing capacity by the end of 2026.

With the demand for recycled content products anticipated to rise, these planned investments are expected to enable WM to capture more recycled materials and increase access to recycling for its customers.

Media Contact:
Taryn Nance 
414-248-6270 
tnance@wm.com  

About WM
WM (WM.com) is North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling, and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics, and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them achieve their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials, and is the leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas-to-electricity plants in North America. WM's fleet includes more than 12,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet of its kind in North America. To learn more about WM and the company's sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including all statements regarding future events, future investments and all outcomes or benefits of such investments. Such statements are based on the facts and circumstances as of the date the statements are made and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different. Please see Part I, Item 1A of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent Forms 10-Q, available at investors.wm.com for information regarding such risks and uncertainties. WM assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.