What Emterra Environmental USA does

Emterra Environmental USA is the US operating division of Emterra Group Inc., a family-owned waste resource management company founded in 1976 by Emmie Leung. Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, it provides residential, commercial/industrial, and municipal solid waste, recycling, and organic collection services across Michigan, supported by Material Recovery Facility infrastructure and a 500+ truck North American fleet of which 35% operates on compressed natural gas.

The company's product and service portfolio spans physical goods (front end bins, roll off bins, compactors, totes, crumb rubber from Emterra Tire Recycling, Transformations windshield washer fluid, ethanol, and hand sanitizer) and recurring services (waste stream audits, producer responsibility compliance via Ryse Solutions Inc., consulting and advisory services, plastics recycling, residential/commercial collection, organic collection, material hauling and transfer, liquid product destruction via Canadian Liquids Processors, and commodities brokering). Circular-economy processing turns post-consumer materials (tires, food and beverage liquids, recyclables) into branded saleable outputs.

Emterra earns revenue through a mix of recurring subscription collection contracts (residential monthly billing, municipal and ICI multi-year contracts), hardware sales (bins, compactors available for purchase, rent, or rent-to-own), commodities marketing of post-consumer recyclables to domestic and export end markets, and professional services fees for EPR compliance, waste audits, and consulting. The go-to-market combines direct sales to municipalities and enterprise accounts, inside sales and customer-service-led residential acquisition, e-commerce with AR visualization for product sales, and community programs (Shred-a-Thons, Emterra Rewards) to drive residential engagement.

Name

Emterra Environmental USA

Legal name

Emterra Group Inc.

Website

https://emterrausa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Emterra Environmental USA is a Michigan-based waste and recycling services division of Emterra Group, providing residential, commercial, and municipal collection plus circular-economy products such as bins, crumb rubber, ethanol, and hand sanitizer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Solid Waste Collection (Residential/Commercial) (IMAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ), Recycling & E-Waste Collection/Hauling (HSAKALAJ)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Recycling collection
• Material recovery facilities
• Municipal solid waste
• Producer responsibility compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Flint

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection Services: Residential, commercial, and municipal waste collection services. Pricing dependent on size, product type, and frequency of pick-up.
2. Recycling Services: Collection and processing of recyclable materials for residential, commercial, and municipal customers.
3. Product Sales: Sale of waste bins (front end, roll off, compactors, totes), crumb rubber, ethanol, windshield washer fluid, and hand sanitizer.
4. Professional Services: Waste stream audits, consulting, advisory services, producer responsibility compliance, and recycling advisory services.
5. Liquid Product Destruction: Confidential destruction of consumer products and liquids including overruns, stale dates, and product recalls.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Emterra Environmental USA provides integrated waste management and recycling services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers across Michigan. Its offerings include curbside collection, Material Recovery Facility (MRF) processing, organic/compost collection, tire recycling, liquid product destruction, commodities brokering, producer responsibility advisory, and the sale of waste-handling equipment (bins, compactors, totes) along with by-products such as crumb rubber, ethanol, and windshield washer fluid.

Product overview

Emterra Environmental USA operates as a waste resource management company offering an integrated portfolio of products and services. The product line includes physical goods: Front End Bins, Roll Off Bins, Compactors, Totes and Baskets, Crumb Rubber, Transformations™ Windshield Washer, Ethanol, Hand Sanitizer, and Recyclable Commodities. Services span waste stream audits, producer responsibility compliance, consulting and material recovery, plastics recycling, residential/commercial collection, organic collection, recycling services, material hauling and transfer, tire collection and recycling, liquid product destruction, commodities brokering, product and packaging advisory, and compliance reporting. The company uses Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in its fleet, operates material recovery facilities, and leverages AR technology for product visualization. The portfolio is organized around circular economy principles, transforming waste into resources through collection, processing, and marketing of recyclable materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emterra Tire Recycling (ETR): Tire recycling division that hauls and processes used tires, producing crumb rubber, steel and fiber through an emission-free process.
• Canadian Liquids Processors (CLP)
• Ryse Solutions Inc.
• Community Care
• Transformations

Products and services

• Residential/Commercial Collection Service Curbside collection service for homeowners and large commercial properties with various bin styles and customized collection options for recycling, organics, waste, and bulk items.
• Recycling Service Effective recycling and waste reduction programs for homeowners, businesses, and municipalities including curbside collection and large bin solutions.
• Organic Collection Service Collection of kitchen food waste, leaf and yard waste for composting using various collection trucks and bins for homes, businesses, and public institutions.
• Material Hauling and Transfer Consolidated waste, recycling, and organics hauling through a network of 500+ collection trucks providing cost-effective services for remote and rural communities.
• Waste Stream Audit Analysis of waste composition to identify recovery and diversion opportunities, helping businesses and municipalities modernize waste and recycling programs.
• Producer Responsibility Services Compliance, advisory, and material recovery solutions for regulated producer responsibility programs, including collection, hauling, processing, and data tracking services.
• Plastics Recycling Collection, hauling, sorting, separating, marketing, and recycling of consumer product packaging, bridging landfill diversion with circular economy participation.
• Liquid Product Destruction Confidential destruction of liquid food and beverage waste due to overruns, stale dates, marketing errors, or product recalls, with recycling into ethanol and windshield washer fluid.
• Product and Packaging Advisory Services Testing recyclability of products and packaging through collection and material recovery processes, helping manufacturers and retailers develop solutions for hard-to-recycle items.
• Commodities Brokering Services Marketing of post-consumer recyclable materials with quality materials, low residual rates, and high grades meeting buyers' specifications across economic cycles.
• Front End Bins Covered, leak-resistant bins available in 2-8 cubic yard sizes for commercial waste and recycling needs, with optional AR visualization.
• Roll Off Bins Open top bins available in 14, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yard sizes for large volume waste and recycling, suitable for construction sites, home renovations, and commercial use.
• Compactors Waste compactors that reduce volume up to a 4:1 ratio, available in 4, 6, and 8 cubic yard sizes, requiring minimal space (single car parking spot) for large quantity waste management.
• Totes and Baskets UV-stabilized HDPE plastic totes in 65 and 95 gallon sizes with ergonomic handles and wheels for curbside collection, commercial buildings, and space-limited areas.
• Crumb Rubber High-quality recycled crumb rubber produced through an emission-free tire recycling process, used in playgrounds, floor mats, automotive products, roofing, and athletic turf fields.
• Transformations Windshield Washer Environmentally friendly, biodegradable windshield washer fluid made from bio-mass driven ethanol derived from distilled post-consumer food and liquid products, available in 1000L re-fillable totes.
• Ethanol Sustainable ethanol produced from post-consumer liquid food and beverage waste through distillation, used as fuel source, windshield washer fluid, and RV fluid for commercial and industrial applications.
• Hand Sanitizer 80% ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer made from reclaimed beverages, formulated to WHO standards, available in 500mL bottles, 4L jugs, and 1000L totes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% higher diversion rate with single-stream recycling
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting circular economy through bike restoration. Emterra provided $4,000 grant for helmets and delivered bikes to children. WRENCH's Earn-a-Bike program teaches kids to restore recovered bikes. Emterra has delivered over 450 bikes to children through this partnership.
• Winnipeg HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant-to-Plate partnership supporting community gardens program. Emterra pledged $60,000 over three years to support food bank clients learning to grow their own food. Many gardens use retired recycling blue boxes as planters.
• Shred-ItminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of semi-annual Shred-a-Thon events in Chilliwack, BC. Events provide free document shredding and recycling while supporting local Salvation Army food bank.
• Salvation Army (Chilliwack)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Shred-a-Thon events. Residents encouraged to donate food or cash which supports the local Salvation Army food bank.
• Helping Women PeriodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan-based organization dedicated to providing menstrual products to those in need. Partnership addresses period poverty affecting education and opportunity. Emterra funding supports distribution across Michigan including Lansing, Port Huron, Flint, and Bad Axe.
• Cummins Westport Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for CNG fleet development. Partnered with Emterra to successfully tackle challenging cold weather conditions and operate CNG fleet of 60+ vehicles in extreme climate - largest such fleet in the world when launched in 2012.
• Circular Materials OntariocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducer Responsibility Organization managing curbside recycling in Ontario. Kingston City Council demanded that Circular Materials and Emterra address ongoing collection delays and missed pick-ups following provincial responsibility shift.
• Revital PolymerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreates high-value re-manufactured plastic products for commercial, industrial, agricultural, and automotive industries. Focuses on increasing plastics value chain, diversion, and energy reduction.
• Ryse Solutions Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer Responsibility Organization (PRO) created by Emterra to assist producers with Ontario regulations. Provides compliance, advisory, and material recovery solutions for packaging suppliers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GFL Environmental: Large North American diversified waste services company offering solid waste collection, recycling, and organics processing to residential, commercial, and municipal customers. Directly comparable to Emterra's integrated collection + MRF business model across Canadian and US markets.
• Casella Waste Systems: Regional vertically integrated solid waste, recycling, and resource management company in the Northeast US. Closely comparable mid-market player with emphasis on recycling, organics, and sustainability-driven services.
• Rumpke Consolidated Companies: Private family-owned waste and recycling company operating in the Midwest US. Comparable to Emterra as a private regional player with collection, MRFs, and significant geographic overlap in the Midwest.
• Recology: Employee-owned waste and recycling company serving West Coast and select Midwest markets with collection, MRFs, and organics processing. Comparable integrated collection and material recovery focus.
• FCC Environmental: Privately held diversified waste management and environmental services company operating across the US. Comparable regional player offering collection, recycling, and disposal to municipal and commercial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management, Inc. Largest North American waste management provider offering collection, recycling, and disposal services. Overlaps with Emterra across residential curbside collection, MRF operations, and producer responsibility advisory.
• Republic Services: Major US waste and recycling services company serving municipal, commercial, and residential customers. Comparable through its collection, recycling processing, and sustainability-driven service portfolio.
• Waste Connections: North American solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal operator with strong presence in secondary markets. Comparable footprint and customer mix to Emterra's Michigan and Canadian operations.
• Stericycle: Specializes in regulated waste management including hazardous and medical waste, with broader environmental solutions. Overlaps with Emterra on producer responsibility, compliance, and specialized waste destruction services.

Emerging players

• GreenWaste Recovery: California-based waste and recycling company providing collection, MRF, and organics services. Comparable mid-sized integrated recycler with similar emphasis on diversion and circular economy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emterragroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/emterrausa
• Instagraminstagram.com/emterragroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emterra-environmental-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emterra Environmental USA