Dive Brief:
- Republic Services released its 2016 Sustainability Report, accompanied by an interactive news release, which highlights the company's commitment to its "five elements of sustainability": operations, communities, safety, people and materials management.
- Republic notes a number of accomplishments and progressions over 2016 including expanding CNG to 18% of its overall fleet; saving 15 million tons of CO2 through recycling operations; operating 71 landfill gas and renewable energy projects; having a safety performance record that's 41% better than the industry average; and servicing 14 million customers for the fifth straight year.
- The report lists four main sustainability goals, which were also highlighted in its 2015 Sustainability Report: add 150,000 tons per year of recycling capacity through 2018; develop at least two landfill gas-to-energy projects per year through 2018; reduce fleet emissions by 3% from direct operational factors by 2018; and reduce OSHA rates by 7% year-over-year.
Dive Insight:
Republic isn't alone in noting its recent success. In March, the company was named to the 2017 World's Most Ethical Companies list by the Ethisphere Institute, and in June, CEO Don Slager's leadership landed him a spot on Glassdoor's Highest Rated CEO list.
The company's newest sustainability report comes on the heels of a strong Q2 and a significant acquisition of ReCommunity, the largest independent recycler in the U.S., indicating that Republic is on a positive path forward. This path has been partially paved by Slager's belief that "you can't have sustainability without profitability," which has sparked some significant changes in the company's operations over the last year. Republic recently focused on shifting its recycling strategy, which has had an impact on its Blue Planet sustainability initiatives — a trend that other giants like Waste Management have also followed.
While the 2016 Sustainability Report notes that Republic is on track to hit all four of its main sustainability goals, 2018 is quickly approaching, indicating that Republic may need to kick operations into an even higher gear over the next year.
