Top 10 Waste Management Companies in Canada 2026

Millions of garbage bins are rolled out to curbs across Canada every week. Someone has to collect them all.

Usually, that someone is one of a small group of companies. They run the collection trucks, sorting plants and landfills, and in 2026 they are busier than ever. Ontario’s Blue Box program now runs fully under producer responsibility, more cities are updating their collection contracts, and industrial customers want assurance that their waste is being handled safely.

These are big businesses. Waste Connections had revenue of US$9.47 billion in 2025 and expects to come close to US$10 billion in 2026. GFL Environmental, founded in Vaughan, Ontario, generated C$2.16 billion of its 2025 revenue in Canada alone.

Also Read: Top 10 AI Companies in Canada 2026

Still, size isn’t everything. Some of the best companies in this market focus on one type of waste and do it very well. They range from family-owned haulers to technology-driven specialists in curbside collection, oilfield waste and wastewater biosolids.

So who leads? This guide looks at the top 10 waste management companies in Canada for 2026, from national giants to the specialists that municipalities and industry keep hiring.

Why Businesses and Municipalities Rely on Professional Waste Management

Compliance Without the Headaches

Provincial rules on landfill design, hazardous waste and recycling targets keep getting stricter. A waste management company that knows these requirements carries the permits, monitoring and paperwork, which saves you time and money.

Lower Cost Through Scale

Collection is a route-density business. Larger companies spread their trucks, transfer stations and landfills across thousands of customers, so they can often offer a lower cost per pickup than a small fleet.

Better Diversion and Recycling Results

Modern material recovery facilities (MRFs), organics plants and biosolids facilities keep valuable material out of landfills. Diversion is becoming a priority for many companies and municipalities as producer responsibility programs and climate targets push recycling rates up.

Reliable Service When It Counts

If a city or business misses a pickup, health concerns can follow quickly, and that’s one reason the top 10 waste management companies in Canada win so much municipal work. Established operators have backup trucks, trained crews and contingency plans, which is why most Canadian cities sign long, multi-year contracts.

Top 10 Waste Management Companies in Canada at a Glance

Top 10 Waste Management Companies in Canada (2026)

Below is how the top 10 waste management companies in Canada compare, based on scale, Canadian footprint and what they’ve done in 2025 and 2026.

1. Waste Connections

Waste Connections is the largest company on this list by revenue. It took its current shape in 2016, when Progressive Waste Solutions merged with Waste Connections. The company trades on both the TSX and NYSE under the ticker WCN and reports in U.S. dollars. It provides residential, commercial, industrial and municipal waste services in six Canadian provinces and 46 U.S. states, and it also treats and disposes of non-hazardous oilfield waste in basins across Canada and the U.S.

Waste Connections reported revenue of US$9.467 billion in 2025, up from US$8.920 billion in 2024. For 2026, it expects US$9.90 to 9.95 billion in revenue and US$3.300 to 3.325 billion in adjusted EBITDA. It also completed acquisitions in 2025 that added about US$330 million in annualized revenue.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Residential, commercial and industrial collection
✔ Transfer stations and landfill disposal
✔ Recycling and organics programs
✔ Oilfield (E&P) waste treatment and disposal

Best for: Municipalities and businesses that want a large, financially strong hauler with its own disposal capacity.

2. GFL Environmental

GFL Environmental was started in Vaughan, Ontario, in 2007 by Patrick Dovigi, who built it by buying smaller Canadian waste companies. It has kept growing through acquisitions, including the C$800 million purchase of Matrec in 2016 and Terrapure’s solid waste business in 2021. In January 2026, GFL relocated its executive headquarters to Miami Beach, Florida, to attract more U.S. shareholders. It remains incorporated in Ontario and keeps a shared services hub in Vaughan.

GFL reports in Canadian dollars and generated C$6.62 billion in revenue in 2025, of which C$2.16 billion came from Canada. It reached a 30.0% adjusted EBITDA margin for the first time in 2025 and expects about C$7.0 billion in revenue in 2026. GFL sold its Environmental Services business on March 1, 2025, to focus on solid waste, and it employs more than 15,000 people across Canada and 18 U.S. states.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Residential and municipal curbside collection
✔ Commercial and industrial waste services
✔ Transfer, recycling and landfill operations
✔ Organics processing and renewable natural gas projects

Best for: Cities and large commercial accounts that want a national operator with deep Canadian roots.

3. WM (Waste Management of Canada)

Waste Management of Canada Corporation is part of WM, North America’s largest waste company. WM generated US$25.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and serves customers across the U.S. and Canada. In Canada, it provides collection, transfer, recycling and landfill services, and its Healthcare Solutions business, built on the 2024 Stericycle acquisition, also operates in the country.

One of WM’s biggest recent investments in Canada is in recycling. It built two new material recovery facilities in Ontario, one in the Region of Waterloo and one in the Greater Napanee area, each designed to process 40 metric tons of material per hour. Together, they are expected to handle about 30% of Ontario’s Blue Box volume under contracts with Circular Materials. In May 2026, WM opened its first bilingual training center in Canada to build fleet safety and technical skills. The parent company expects 2026 revenue of US$26.43 to 26.63 billion.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Commercial and residential collection
✔ Large-scale residential and commercial recycling
✔ Landfill and transfer operations
✔ Healthcare and medical waste services

Best for: Businesses with sites in both Canada and the U.S. that want one provider.

4. SECURE Waste Infrastructure

SECURE Waste Infrastructure Corp. is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and trades on the TSX under the symbol SES. It operates more than 80 high-barrier-to-entry facilities across Western Canada and North Dakota, from industrial landfills and waste processing sites to produced water disposal wells and metals recycling operations. SECURE mainly serves energy producers and industrial customers.

SECURE generated C$501 million in adjusted EBITDA in 2025, a 2% increase from 2024. It is guiding to C$520 to 550 million for 2026, with about 75% expected from its waste management segment. SECURE plans to spend about C$75 million on growth in 2026, including a new industrial waste facility in Redwater, Alberta, two Montney produced water disposal expansions and pre-shredding equipment for its Edmonton metals recycling operation. It also raised its quarterly dividend by 5% in 2026.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Industrial and oilfield waste processing
✔ Industrial landfills
✔ Produced water disposal
✔ Metals recycling

Best for: Energy and heavy industry clients in Western Canada.

5. Emterra Group

Emterra Group is a family-owned Canadian business that has been recovering resources since 1976. It has its headquarters in Oakville, Ontario, and its divisions include Emterra Environmental, Emterra Tire Recycling and Canadian Liquids Processors. Its services range from curbside collection, recycling and bin rentals to product destruction and producer responsibility support, and it runs a compressed natural gas and electric fleet.

Emterra has been busy this year. On October 20, 2026, it opened a C$57.5 million facility in Waterloo Region, creating 75 local jobs. In April 2026, the City of Mississauga selected Emterra to collect the city’s waste starting October 1, 2027. In British Columbia, Campbell River awarded Emterra a 10-year contract. Emterra has served about 10,800 homes there since 2006, and the city moved to automated carts in spring 2026.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Municipal curbside garbage, recycling and organics
✔ Commercial bins and compactors
✔ Tire recycling
✔ Producer responsibility program support

Best for: Municipalities looking for a Canadian-owned collection partner.

6. Miller Waste Systems

Miller Waste Systems has been operating for 65 years. It is a private, 100% Canadian-owned company based in Markham, Ontario, serving communities in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Its services include waste collection, material recovery, transfer stations, composting and diversion.

Miller specializes in municipal contracts. On April 1, 2025, it began collection in Windsor, Ontario, creating 40 new jobs. In March 2026, Miller agreed to sell its Escarpment Renewables and Maryland Farms facilities, along with certain organics assets in Pickering, to Walker Industries. The deal lets Miller focus on collection, recovery and transfer stations while keeping its Pickering organics employees.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Residential and municipal collection
✔ Material recovery facilities
✔ Transfer station operations
✔ Diversion programs

Best for: Municipalities in Ontario and Atlantic Canada that want an experienced private collector.

7. Walker Industries

Walker Industries is a fifth-generation, family-owned business based in Niagara, Ontario, with roots going back to 1887. Its environmental division covers waste disposal, biosolids, grease traps, organics processing and composting, wood and shingle grinding, and lower-carbon alternative fuels and renewable energy.

Walker expanded its organics division in 2026. On March 23, 2026, it signed an agreement to take over Miller Waste’s Escarpment Renewables and Maryland Farms facilities, along with some of Miller’s organics assets in Pickering. Employees at the Escarpment and Maryland sites will move to Walker. With more Ontario cities expanding green bin programs, the deal adds organics capacity.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Waste disposal and drop-off
✔ Organics processing and composting
✔ Biosolids management
✔ Low-carbon fuels and renewable energy

Best for: Municipalities and businesses in southern Ontario that need organics and disposal capacity.

8. Lystek International

Lystek International was founded in 2000 to turn thermal hydrolysis research from the University of Waterloo into a commercial product. Lystek is based in Cambridge, Ontario, and has been owned by the Ottawa-based Tomlinson Group since 2011. Its products include LysteGro, a Class A biofertilizer, LysteMize for digester optimization and LysteCarb, a carbon source for biological nutrient removal systems.

Lystek’s first full-scale facility began operating in Guelph in 2008, and the company still manages that city’s biosolids program. Other clients include Peel, Halton and Toronto. In 2024, it shared an innovation award from the California Association of Sanitation Agencies with the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District. On June 30, 2026, Lystek announced it will supply its core technology for St. Thomas, Ontario’s Dalewood Water Reclamation Facility, using two process trains with room for future growth.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Thermal hydrolysis for biosolids
✔ Class A biofertilizer production
✔ Digester optimization
✔ Organic material recovery services

Best for: Municipal wastewater utilities that want to cut biosolids volumes and costs.

9. Circular Materials

Circular Materials is a national not-for-profit producer responsibility organization. It is funded by the companies that make and sell packaging and paper, and it runs residential recycling on their behalf under extended producer responsibility rules. Under Ontario’s new producer-led system, it has become one of the key organizations behind the Blue Box program.

Circular Materials’ role grew in 2026. On January 1, 2026, it took over residential recycling in Mississauga. One of its contractors is WM Canada, whose two new Ontario facilities are expected to handle about 30% of Ontario’s Blue Box volume.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Residential Blue Box program management
✔ Collection and processing contracts with operators
✔ Producer compliance under EPR rules
✔ Recycling education for residents

Best for: Packaging producers that need to meet their recycling obligations in Canada.

10. Clean Harbors

Clean Harbors was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1980 and has its headquarters in Norwell, Massachusetts. In 2025, it reported record revenue of US$6.03 billion, of which US$540.0 million, or 9%, came from Canada. It operates major waste facilities in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, plus transfer facilities in Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

Clean Harbors offers what many haulers can’t. Its Lambton, Ontario, facility incinerates liquid organic waste, and its Safety-Kleen re-refinery in Breslau, Ontario, turns used oil into new lubricants. For 2026, Clean Harbors projected adjusted EBITDA of US$1.20 to 1.26 billion.

Key Waste Management Solutions

✔ Hazardous waste treatment and disposal
✔ Liquid waste incineration
✔ Used oil collection and re-refining
✔ Industrial waste transfer and processing

Best for: Industrial clients with hazardous or regulated waste.

How to Choose the Right Waste Management Partner

Even among the top 10 waste management companies in Canada, the right fit depends on what you need hauled and where you are.

Match the Company to Your Waste Stream

A curbside collection company isn’t going to haul your solvents, and a hazardous waste company may not be the cheapest option for office trash. Take time to list what you actually generate, then shortlist companies that handle those materials every day.

Check Local Coverage and Disposal Access

Ask where your waste will go once it’s collected. Companies that own their transfer stations or landfills usually offer steadier pricing and more consistent service than those that rely on third-party sites.

Review Permits and Safety Records

Always confirm that a provider is approved in your province, and ask for its safety and compliance records.

Look at Diversion and Reporting

If you have sustainability goals, find a company that can report your tonnage by waste stream and explain where recyclables and organics end up.

Read the Contract Terms Carefully

Check fuel surcharges, price escalators and other fees before signing. Compare the full contract, not just the monthly rate.

Frequently Asked Questions About Waste Management Companies in Canada

Which is the largest waste management company in Canada?

By revenue, Waste Connections is the largest company on our list of the top 10 waste management companies in Canada, with US$9.47 billion in 2025 revenue. GFL Environmental, which was started in Ontario, reported C$2.16 billion of revenue from Canada in 2025.

Who handles recycling in Ontario now?

Ontario’s residential recycling is now run by producers through organizations such as Circular Materials. They hire collection and processing companies, including WM Canada, to handle the material.

Which company is best for hazardous waste?

There’s no single best choice for everyone. For hazardous waste, many businesses turn to Clean Harbors. For oil and gas waste in Western Canada, SECURE Waste Infrastructure is a strong option.

Are there Canadian-owned options among the top 10 waste management companies in Canada?

Yes. Emterra Group, Miller Waste Systems and Walker Industries are all privately owned Canadian businesses, and Lystek is owned by the Ottawa-based Tomlinson Group.

Conclusion

The top 10 waste management companies in Canada range from billion-dollar haulers to family-owned firms and technology specialists. Waste Connections, GFL and WM bring scale and their own disposal networks, while SECURE and Clean Harbors handle the toughest industrial waste streams.

The rest of the list shows where the market is heading in 2026: more organics processing, smarter biosolids treatment and producer-paid recycling. Know what you need from a waste partner, match it to each company’s strengths and region, and the right choice gets much easier.

Related Reading:

• Top 10 Cloud Computing Companies in Canada 2026
• Top 10 Software Development Companies in Canada 2026