U.S. Liquid Waste Management Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Waste Type (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), By Source, By Service, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The U.S. liquid waste management market size was valued at USD 25.62 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.5% from 2020 to 2027. Rising concerns regarding the improper disposal of liquid waste causing pollution, environmental toxicity & degradation, and soil contamination are expected to drive the market growth. An approximate estimate of global wastewater production is about 1,500 km³ per day, and over 2 million tons of waste is discharged to receiving water per day, with the U.S. accounting for a large share. A majority of this arises from industrial manufacturing operations and often contains chemical compounds or other toxic materials unsuitable for the environment or human and animal health.

Industrial chemical waste poses serious threats, such as potential radiation risks or potential biological organisms, which are likely to result in epidemic breakouts in the U.S. Liquid waste treatment aims to render these effluents safe for disposal in the environment. Thus, these effluents are thoroughly processed and inspected to identify their compatibility with standard seawater or other ecosystems. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in augmenting the demand for disposal, decontamination, and disinfection services in the U.S. In response to the outbreak, various agencies such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have formulated measures for proper collected, transportation, treatment, and disposal of waste related to COVID-19 from the healthcare facilities.

Although no evidence is found regarding the transmission of COVID-19 through sewerage systems, traces of the virus were detected in human excreta. This has resulted in increasing wastewater treatment services in the country. Similarly, the management of toxic and hazardous waste in the healthcare facilities witnessed significant growth in the past few months.

The presence of toxic or hazardous materials and chemicals, or even metals, is anticipated to augment the cost of segregation, processing, and treatment as these require careful handling and disposal or recycling. Aging infrastructure remains another critical area of concern as the existing liquid waste management systems in place are currently quite old, averaging about 15 to 20 years.

Waste-type Insights

Residential waste led the U.S. liquid waste management market and accounted for around 44.2% of the country’s revenue share in 2019. The residential liquid waste is widely treated by the municipality in each state. In addition, the growing residential real estate industry post-recession period is expected to augment the demand for water, thus leading to increased wastewater generation.

Improper disposal of televisions, solar panels, and batteries in commercial areas coupled with inefficient disposal practices followed in shopping malls, sports complexes, and other commercial buildings are expected to aid the liquid waste generation. Rising demand for smartphones, along with their improper disposal is likely to result in the production of a higher amount of liquid waste in the U.S.

The demand for premium medical facilities is witnessing significant growth on account of rising geriatric population in the country, thereby augmenting the utilization of water. This, in turn, is expected to drive the demand for liquid waste management of toxic and hazardous waste in the commercial sector at a CAGR of 2.2%, from 2020 to 2027 in terms of revenue.

The liquid waste generated through oil and gas, iron and steel, and other manufacturing industries accounts for a majority of the market share in industrial waste generation. The oil spillage in the country, coupled with liquid waste generated through refineries and metal manufacturing facilities, is expected to drive the production of liquid waste from industrial sources in the U.S.

Source Insights

Management of liquid waste generated through municipal sources in the U.S. led the market and accounted for more than 69.7% of the revenue in 2019. The origins of waste in the municipal industry include human waste, septic tank discharge, sewage treatment plant discharge, washing water, groundwater infiltrated into sewage, and surplus manufactured liquids from domestic sources.

The textile industry consumes a significant amount of dyes, chemicals, and about 200 liters of water per kg of textile production. Liquid waste is emitted from this industry; thus, it contains a high amount of toxic chemicals and trace metals such as zinc and chromium. Waterless dyeing processes, such as those developed for polyester fabrics, are yet to be commercialized in the mainstream textiles.

Management of liquid waste generated from the automotive industry is estimated to witness a CAGR of 2.5%, in terms of revenue, from 2020 to 2027 as it generates about 75 million ounces of paint sludge per year, mostly dumped into landfills in the U.S. OEMs and automotive aftermarket generate large amounts of liquid wastewater and other similar waste, including engine and motor oils, transmission and brake fluids, and solvents.

Liquid waste generated from the iron and steel industry contains a significant quantity of acid, dust, oil, and metal particles other than iron and steel. This effluent water or sludge poses a significant threat to the environment as it contains sulfur compounds and cyanide, among other hazardous elements. A majority of the waste produced by these industries is a semi-solid slag, which finds application as an aggregate in hot mix asphalt surfaces.

Service Insights

Collection led the market and accounted for around 56.2% of the revenue in 2019. This service includes the collection of liquid waste in the country through pipe networks and transport vehicles. Privately owned liquid waste management companies in the U.S. collect hazardous and non-hazardous liquid waste from industrial and commercial areas.

Liquid waste is disposed of or recycled in sewage treatment plants or liquid waste treatment facilities privately owned and operated in the U.S. Disposal of liquid waste is done either through direct landfill injection via bioreactor process, solidification, and then landfilling or through a chemical wastewater treatment process.

Liquid waste transportation service includes the movement of liquid waste from storage areas to the place of recycling and processing. Waste transported by vehicle must be transported under proper observation to avoid spilling and leaking. These waste materials are required to be covered and must be leak-proof during transportation.

The demand for transportation service is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 2.2%, in terms of revenue, from 2020 to 2027. The transportation of some liquid waste presents a high risk to the environment. Hazardous liquid waste from industrial and commercial premises is transported through the transport vehicles, whereas non-hazardous liquid waste is transported to the recycling facility or a permitted sewage system inlet.

Regional Insights

California led the market and accounted for more than 12.6% of the revenue share in 2019. The vast population base in California contributes to a high amount of liquid waste generation, especially from the residential sector, in the form of sewage and domestic wastewater. Increasing industrialization in the state is expected to have a positive impact on market growth over the forecast period.

Michigan is a manufacturing base for many large automobile brands such as Ford, General Motors, and auto ancillary companies such as American axle. These companies are responsible for major organic, hazardous, and non-hazardous liquid waste generation. The growth in the agriculture industry in the state is expected to increase the organic waste generated and thus drive growth.

The liquid waste management market in Texas is primarily driven by the waste generated by the residential sectors. However, the adoption of liquid waste management in the industrial sector is estimated to witness a CAGR of 2.7%, in terms of revenue, from 2020 to 2027 owing to the rising number of industrial activities and more significant amounts of resources being consumed to manufacture consumer goods.

Coal mining activities carried out in Alabama are responsible for the generation of organic and inorganic wastewater. Furthermore, the asphalt refining industries, which produce hazardous liquid waste in the state, contribute to the growth of the liquid waste management market to a large extent. Arkansas has very efficient collection services for liquid waste.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is fragmented, with few major players catering to the U.S. and other North American countries, including Canada and Mexico. Few of the significant players in the market having headquarters in the eastern states on account of the presence of a large number of manufacturing facilities in Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana provide services across the country. The majority of the publicly-traded companies in the U.S. are vertically integrated across the supply chain, wherein they provide waste collection, transportation, and disposal services. This, in turn, results in saving the operational cost and increasing profit margins, thereby enabling the companies to obtain a significant share in the market. Some of the prominent players in the U.S. liquid waste management market include:

• Veolia

• Clean Harbors, Inc.

• Covanta Holding Corporation

• Stericycle, Inc.

• Waste Management, Inc.

• US Ecology, Inc.

• Republic Services, Inc.

• Heritage-Crystal Clean, LLC

• Heritage

• APS Environmental

• Hazardous Waste Experts

• Liquid Environmental Solutions

U.S. Liquid Waste Management Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at country and state levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. liquid waste management market report on the basis of waste type, source, service, and states:

• Waste Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Residential

  • Commercial

    • Toxic & Hazardous Waste

    • Organic & Non-hazardous Waste

  • Industrial

    • Toxic & Hazardous Waste

    • Organic & Non-Hazardous Waste

    • Chemical Waste

• Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Municipal

  • Textile

  • Paper

  • Iron & Steel

  • Automotive

  • Pharmaceutical

  • Oil & Gas

  • Others

• Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Collection

  • Transportation/Hauling

  • Disposal/Recycling

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • California

  • Texas

  • Florida

  • New York

  • Illinois

  • Pennsylvania

  • Ohio

  • Georgia

  • North Carolina

  • Michigan

  • Kentucky

  • Tennessee

  • Virginia

  • West Virginia

  • South Carolina

  • Arkansas

  • Alabama

  • Mississippi

  • Louisiana

  • Maryland

  • Indiana

  • Wisconsin

  • Rest of the U.S.