What Walters Recycling & Refuse does

Walters Recycling & Refuse, Inc. is a family-owned waste management company headquartered in Blaine, Minnesota, providing residential and commercial trash, recycling, yard waste, organics, roll-off dumpster, bulk item, and electronics/appliance collection services across more than 30 municipalities in the Twin Cities metro (Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties). The company serves over 75,000 residential customers and 7,000+ commercial customers, ranking among Minnesota's largest independent haulers and within the top 100 waste companies nationally. Its service portfolio is delivered through a subscription-based billing model for recurring routes, supplemented by transaction-based fees for roll-off rentals, electronics/appliance pickups, and public drop-off use, with commercial contracts customized by container size, frequency, and material stream.

Operationally, Walters runs its own fleet out of a state-of-the-art Blaine maintenance facility and a public drop-off site at 10191 Xylite Street NE, the latter being expanded with an AI-powered robotics system to sort food scraps bags for the Ramsey/Washington Counties Food Scraps Pickup Program. The Walters mobile app (iOS and Android) provides schedule lookup, service reminders, and bill pay. Distribution relies on direct phone sales from the Blaine office, territory managers for commercial accounts, self-serve online signup, and a $50-$25 referral credit program, layered on top of municipal contracts and historically successful door-to-door acquisition. The business is privately held by the Walter family (founded 1956 by Jack and Shirley Walter, relaunched 1988 by sons George and Greg Walter), with no external investors and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Walters Recycling & Refuse

Legal name

Walter's Recycling & Refuse Inc.

Website

https://waltersrecycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Walters Recycling & Refuse is a family-owned waste hauler serving 75,000+ residential and 7,000+ commercial customers across 30+ Twin Cities municipalities, providing subscription trash, recycling, yard waste, and organics collection plus roll-off, drop-off, and food scraps services from its Blaine, Minnesota headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Organics (Food/Yard) Collection (Residential & Commercial) (EUAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Commercial Waste Collection (Roll-off/Front-load) (IMAIAFAB), C&D Waste Collection, Hauling & Container Services (Roll-off/Dumpsters) (EUAIAHAA), Bulky Item & White Goods Collection (EUAIAAAH), Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise) (BPALAEAF), Residential Junk Removal & Hauling (HSAKALAA)

Keywords

• Waste collection services
• Recycling services
• Residential trash pickup
• Commercial waste management
• Roll-off dumpster rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Blaine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Residential Waste Collection Services: Recurring weekly or scheduled waste collection services for residential customers. Services include trash, recycling, yard waste, and organics collection. Customers are billed on a subscription basis with various cart sizes available.
2. Commercial Waste Collection Services: Customized trash and recycling collection services for businesses with flexible pickup schedules (weekly, every other week, monthly, or multiple times per week). Container sizes range from 2 to 8 cubic yards, with roll-off dumpsters available in 10, 20, and 30-yard sizes.
3. Roll-Off Dumpster Rentals: One-time rental of roll-off dumpsters for construction, renovation, cleanout, or other projects. Dumpsters are delivered and picked up on customer schedules.
4. Electronics and Appliance Collection: Specialized pickup service for electronics and appliances with associated fees based on item type and size. Requires scheduling and includes proper recycling through certified recyclers.
5. Public Drop-Off Facility: Drop-off services for responsible recycling and disposal of various materials including cardboard, mattresses, and other items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Walters Recycling & Refuse provides curbside waste collection, recycling, yard waste, and organics services to residential and commercial customers across the Twin Cities metro area. The company also offers roll-off dumpster rentals, bulk item and electronics/appliance collection, and a public drop-off facility for self-service disposal.

Product overview

Walters Recycling & Refuse offers a unified portfolio of waste management services centered on curbside collection, with distinct residential and commercial service tiers. Residential offerings include Trash, Recycling, Yard Waste, and Organics services, while commercial clients receive customized Trash, Recycling, and Organics programs. The product line extends to Roll-Off Dumpsters for construction projects, Bulk Item pickups, Electronics & Appliances collection, and a Public Drop-Off facility. A Food Scraps Bag Program provides curbside organics collection for eligible counties. The Walters Mobile App serves as a customer-facing digital tool for scheduling, bill pay, and notifications. All services are offered as standalone offerings without a modular platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Trash Service Weekly curbside trash collection for residential customers, offering multiple cart sizes to suit household needs.
• Residential Recycling Service Single-sort curbside recycling collection allowing residents to commingle recyclable materials in one cart.
• Residential Yard Waste Service Seasonal curbside collection for leaves, grass clippings, and branches, operating from April through November.
• Residential Organics Service Curbside food scraps collection using BPI-certified compostable bags, allowing residents to divert kitchen waste from landfills.
• Commercial Trash Service Customized commercial waste collection with flexible pickup schedules and right-sized containers for businesses of all sizes.
• Commercial Recycling Service Single-sort commercial recycling programs for paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic, tailored to business needs.
• Commercial Organics Service Food waste recycling program for businesses that diverts organic material to commercial composting facilities, transforming waste into nutrient-rich compost.
• Roll-Off Dumpsters Construction and renovation dumpster rentals available in 10, 20, and 30-yard sizes with prompt delivery and pickup.
• Bulk Items Collection Scheduled pickup service for large items including furniture, mattresses, and bulky household goods.
• Electronics & Appliances Collection Specialized collection service for responsible disposal of old electronics and appliances, ensuring hazardous materials are handled by certified recyclers.
• Public Drop-Off Facility Self-service drop-off location accepting extra cardboard, old mattresses, electronics, and other recyclables; open to the general public.
• Food Scraps Bag Program Curbside food scraps collection program for residents in Ramsey and Washington Counties, utilizing AI-powered robotics for sorting at the processing facility.
• Walters Mobile App Customer-facing mobile application for iOS and Android enabling users to view pickup schedules, receive service reminders, pay bills, and access FAQs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minnesota's Best in Customer Service for 6 consecutive years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hope 4 YouthminorOthersCommunity organization providing critical resources, support, and housing to help young people find a path out of homelessness. Walters supports through donations and employee volunteer participation.
• Special Olympics MinnesotaminorOthersWalters participates in Special Olympics events including Truck Convoy (police-escorted parade of trucks raising funds) and Polar Plunge (fundraising challenge). Active corporate sponsor of the organization.
• 3M OpenminorOthersAs a local family-owned waste hauler, Walters provides trash, recycling, and disposal services for the 3M Open golf tournament with focus on sustainability and waste reduction.
• Children's Hospitals and Clinics of MinnesotaminorOthersOne of the largest pediatric health systems in the country. Walters supports through community giving and donations.
• Ramsey/Washington Counties Food Scraps Pickup ProgramcoreOthersWalters is preparing to support the county's Food Scraps Pickup Program through their expanded Public Drop-Off Facility processing capabilities. Expanding infrastructure with AI-powered robotics for sorting food scraps bags as part of this initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Recology: Employee-owned West Coast hauler widely recognized as a leader in organics, recycling, and zero-waste programs — useful adjacent benchmark for evaluating Walters' commercial organics program and AI-driven food scraps expansion.
• Waste Management: Largest U.S. solid waste and recycling hauler with active Twin Cities operations and municipal contracts — broad incumbent that competes with Walters on commercial accounts, roll-offs, and franchise bids across its service area.
• Republic Services: Top-tier North American waste and recycling company operating across the Twin Cities metro — broad incumbent whose pricing power and route density on commercial and municipal accounts pressure regional independents like Walters.
• GFL Environmental: North American waste management company with a meaningful Upper Midwest and U.S. footprint — competes for municipal and commercial haul contracts and serves as a roll-up consolidator across the broader Minnesota/Midwest market.
• Waste Connections: North American solid waste services company with a roll-up strategy across secondary and mid-size markets — relevant comparable for an independent like Walters evaluating scale consolidation as a long-term path.
• Casella Waste Systems: Vertically integrated regional waste, recycling, and organics operator with a strong Northeast U.S. footprint — comparable business mix (collection plus organics/composting) that is useful for assessing Walters' commercial organics and food scraps expansion trajectory.

Direct peers

• East Central Sanitation & Recycling: Independent regional hauler serving east-central Minnesota including portions of the Twin Cities-adjacent counties — directly competes for municipal franchise and residential contracts in geographies adjacent to Walters' home base.
• Dick's Sanitation Service Inc. Family-owned Minnesota-based waste and recycling hauler headquartered in Anoka, MN — directly competes with Walters for residential, commercial, and roll-off business in the same Twin Cities geography with a comparable subscription service model.
• Randy's Environmental Services / Randy's Sanitation: Minnesota-based independent waste and recycling hauler serving residential and commercial customers in regions adjacent to Walters' Twin Cities territory with a comparable subscription-based collection model and roll-off rental line.
• Aspen Waste Systems: Minneapolis-headquartered commercial and industrial waste hauler providing front-load, roll-off, and recycling services across the Twin Cities — overlaps directly with Walters' commercial front-load and roll-off offerings and its mid-market customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beyondthecurb88
• Facebookfacebook.com/waltersrecycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Walters Recycling & Refuse