Dive Brief:

• Waste Management Healthcare Solutions New England has been acquired by Curtis Bay Medical Waste Services, a privately-held medical waste disposal company based in Baltimore, Maryland.

• Curtis Bay will now own the turnkey medical waste processing facility and customers service operations.

• Curtis Bay currently operates a medical waste transfer station in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and is looking to grow its services in New England. This acquisition will put it one step closer to expanding its customer base in the Northeast.

Dive Insight:

Although Waste Management Inc. once saw medical waste as an opportunity to expand, that outlook has changed. Waste Management's medical waste segment was draining the company's resources and capital, pushing the company to seek buyers. According to James Trevathan, COO of Waste Management, the profits stemming from medical waste were "less than $50 million." Waste Management had previously been unloading medical assets to Stericycle, Inc. and was seeking buyers for its processing plants around the nation.