ISWA
ISWA is a Rotterdam-based international non-profit association founded in 1970 that serves waste management professionals, organizations, governments, and academia across 110 countries. It generates revenue through tiered memberships, the Waste Management & Research journal, the IWM certification, and the annual World Congress.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersRotterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ISWA does
ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) is a membership-based international non-profit association founded in 1970 and headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it holds Dutch ANBI status (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling). The organization promotes sustainable and professional waste management worldwide and the transition to a circular economy, serving individual waste management professionals, organizational members (Platinum, Gold, and Silver tiers), national member associations, academia, government bodies, and intergovernmental institutions across 110 countries. Its membership is structured around tiered annual subscriptions ranging from €56 (student) to €5,600 (Platinum organizational), with calendar-year renewals and pro-rated quarterly options.
ISWA's core offerings consist of professional membership services, the peer-reviewed scientific journal Waste Management & Research (published via Sage), the industry magazine Waste Management World (via WEKA), the International Waste Manager (IWM) certification, and a portfolio of events anchored by the annual ISWA World Congress and Beacon Conferences. The association facilitates knowledge exchange through 10+ technical Working Groups (Energy Recovery, Landfill, Climate Change, Hazardous Waste, etc.), 3 Task Forces (Plastics Treaty, Closing Dumpsites, Marine Litter), 4 Regional Chapters, and the Young Professionals Group (YPG) with 14 local chapters worldwide. Revenue is generated through membership fees, event registrations and sponsorships, publication subscriptions, and certification/training programs.
The organization operates with 51-100 employees based at its General Secretariat in Rotterdam and is governed by a Board, a Scientific and Technical Committee, and the Managing Director (Marc Tijhuis, joined August 2019). ISWA maintains institutional partnerships with UNEP, UN-Habitat (WasteWise Cities Program), the UNFCCC COP process, and Wiley for its book series, while major corporate sponsors include Kanadevia Inova, the City of Rotterdam, Ecomondo, SUS ENVIRONMENT, and IFAT. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or equity-based ownership; the entity is fully member-funded and independently operated.
ISWA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ISWA
- Legal name
- ISWA – International Solid Waste Association
- Website
- https://iswa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ISWA is a Rotterdam-based international non-profit association founded in 1970 that serves waste management professionals, organizations, governments, and academia across 110 countries. It generates revenue through tiered memberships, the Waste Management & Research journal, the IWM certification, and the annual World Congress.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ISWA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), All Other Waste Management Services (56299), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC)
Keywords
Where ISWA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rotterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ISWA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: ISWA generates primary revenue through annual membership fees from individual members (€224/year standard, €112/year for low-income countries, €56/year students, €67.20/year digital) and organizational members (Platinum €5,600/year, Gold €2,800/year, Silver €1,680/year). Membership runs January to December on a calendar-year renewal system.
- Event Revenue: ISWA organizes and hosts major events including the annual ISWA World Congress, Beacon Conferences, working group meetings, webinars, and training courses. Revenue is generated through attendee registrations, sponsorship packages, and exhibition fees.
- Publication Subscriptions: ISWA publishes the scientific journal Waste Management and Research (via Sage Publishing) and the magazine Waste Management World. Paid membership tiers include physical and digital subscriptions to these publications.
- Sponsorship Revenue: ISWA accepts sponsorships from organizations (main sponsors include Kanadevia Inova, City of Rotterdam, Ecomondo, SUS ENVIRONMENT, IFAT) in exchange for brand visibility, pavilion access, and networking opportunities at ISWA events.
- Certification and Training: ISWA offers International Waste Manager (IWM) certification and professional training courses that generate revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership with full benefits including magazine subscriptions and network access |
| Subscription | Annual | Full-time students under 35 with interest in environmental sciences or waste management |
| Subscription | Annual | Basic digital-only membership with access to knowledge base and webinars |
| Subscription | Annual | Large organizations with 100+ employees |
| Subscription | Annual | Medium organizations with 10-100 employees |
| Subscription | Annual | Small organizations with up to 10 employees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
ISWA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ISWA is a global non-profit membership association that promotes sustainable waste management and the transition to a circular economy. It sells tiered organizational and individual memberships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Individual, Student, Digital), the International Waste Manager (IWM) professional certification, scientific publications including the Waste Management & Research journal and Waste Management World magazine, and paid access to its annual World Congress and Beacon Conferences.
Product overview
ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) operates as a global membership network rather than a software product company. The organization's primary offerings consist of professional membership services at multiple tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Individual, Student, Digital), peer-reviewed scientific publishing through Waste Management and Research journal and Waste Management World magazine, professional certification through the International Waste Manager program, and events including the annual ISWA World Congress and regional Beacon Conferences. The association facilitates global collaboration through specialized Working Groups covering 10+ technical areas, Task Forces addressing priority issues like plastics and dumpsites, and Regional Chapters across 4 continents. The Young Professionals Group provides dedicated programming for members under 35, including mentorship, online conferences, and career development resources. Knowledge resources are accessible through the ISWA Knowledge Base portal and various publications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ISWA Young Professionals Group (YPG): A program for ISWA members under 35 years old focused on Solid Waste Management, knowledge sharing, collaboration and innovation.
Products and services
- ISWA Membership
- International Waste Manager (IWM) Certification
- Waste Management & Research (WM&R) Journal
- Waste Management World Magazine
- ISWA World Congress
- ISWA Beacon Conferences
Quantifiable outcome
- 110 countries reached through membership network
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ISWA
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ISWA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ISWA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- SUS ENVIRONMENTcoreISWA and SUS ENVIRONMENT established a strategic partnership in 2018 to leverage ISWA's global platform resources to elevate the influence of the global waste management industry in green governance. SUS ENVIRONMENT was recognized for its technological innovation and global expansion in the waste-to-energy sector. ISWA President James Law visited SUS ENVIRONMENT's Shanghai headquarters on June 24, 2026 to discuss global waste management solutions including waste-to-energy trends, low-carbon technology innovation, and international industry standards alignment.
- UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)flagshipUNEP is listed as one of ISWA's key institutional partners on the official partners page. ISWA cooperates with UNEP on international projects and initiatives related to waste management and environmental protection, including the WasteWise Cities Program with UN-Habitat.
- UN-Habitat (Waste Wise Cities Program)flagshipISWA partners with UN-Habitat's Waste Wise Cities Program on the CALC (Circular and Low Carbon Cities) project, member city initiatives, and the annual YPG Flagship Project. The partnership supports knowledge exchange between cities and promotes sustainable waste management in urban areas globally.
- Sustainable Cities NetworkminorListed as an official ISWA partner, the Sustainable Cities Network collaborates with ISWA on urban sustainability initiatives and knowledge sharing for sustainable city development.
- ISWA-Wiley Book SeriesminorISWA publishes the ISWA-Wiley Book Series in partnership with Wiley, producing landmark publications such as 'Sustainable Waste Management – Principles and Guidance for Lasting Change'.
- Kanadevia Inova (Main Sponsor)coreKanadevia Inova is listed as one of ISWA's main sponsors. The company, specializing in environmental and energy recovery technologies, supports ISWA's activities in exchange for brand visibility at ISWA events and within the global waste management community.
- City of Rotterdam (Main Sponsor)coreThe City of Rotterdam is a main sponsor of ISWA, providing financial support in exchange for association with the global waste management network and visibility in the international environmental community.
- Ecomondo (Main Sponsor)coreEcomondo, the leading international platform for the circular economy and ecological transition held in Rimini, Italy, is a main sponsor of ISWA. ISWA supports Ecomondo as a partner event in return for brand visibility.
- IFAT (Main Sponsor)coreIFAT, the world's leading environmental technology trade fair, is a main sponsor of ISWA. ISWA maintains a pavilion at IFAT Munich and supports IFAT regional events in Africa, Brasil, Eurasia, and Saudi Arabia, generating mutual visibility and membership leads.
- Sage PublishingminorISWA's scientific journal Waste Management & Research is published by Sage Publishing. Member mailing addresses are shared with Sage for the sole purpose of providing physical and digital copies of the journal as covered by paid subscriptions.
- WEKA Industrie Medien GmbHminorWEKA publishes ISWA's Waste Management World magazine. Member mailing addresses are shared with WEKA for the sole purpose of providing physical and digital copies of the magazine as covered by paid subscriptions.
- CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management)flagshipCIWM is ISWA's UK national member and is partnering with ISWA to host the 2026 ISWA World Congress in London at the QEII Centre, marking the Congress's return to the UK for the first time in 30 years.
- World Biogas AssociationminorISWA supports the World Biogas Association's World Biogas Summit & Expo 2026 in Birmingham, UK (July 8-9, 2026), listing it as an ISWA Supported Event.
- Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA)minorIWMSA is ISWA's national member for Southern Africa and hosts WasteCon 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa, celebrating IWMSA's 50th anniversary. ISWA supports WasteCon as a partner event.
- SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America)flagshipSWANA and ISWA's Young Professionals Groups jointly host training sessions and events, including a two-phase training on the SWEET v5.0 tool developed by the U.S. EPA. SWANA also powers RCon and supports ISWA's North American engagement.
- Horizon Europe Wood2Wood ProjectminorISWA is the communication and dissemination partner for the Horizon Europe Wood2Wood project. ISWA coordinated and organized a joint webinar on building an inclusive green workforce for Europe's circular future, exploring green skills development for 2030.
- ÖKOINDUSTRIAminorÖKOINDUSTRIA organizes ENVIRONTEC, an international trade exhibition in Budapest, Hungary (October 7-9, 2026) focusing on environmental technologies, infrastructure development, and waste and water management. ISWA supports the event and participates with a conference on landfilling.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ISWA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- World Biogas Association: International non-profit championing the biogas and anaerobic digestion industry. The World Biogas Association is an emerging peer organization with a narrower waste-to-energy focus; it is an ISWA partner event host but serves a partially overlapping technical community.
- US Composting Council: North American non-profit trade association promoting composting and organics recycling. The US Composting Council is an emerging peer with a narrower organics focus that overlaps with ISWA's Biological Treatment of Waste Working Group and similar certification and conference offerings.
- ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management): European network of cities and regions focused on waste prevention and resource management. ACR+ is an emerging peer with a city/municipal-focused membership model that overlaps with ISWA's government and public institution segment, particularly in the WasteWise Cities sphere.
Broad incumbents
- UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): United Nations system entity coordinating environmental action. UNEP is a broad incumbent that overlaps significantly with ISWA's policy and standards agenda in waste management — it is an ISWA partner but also a competing source of authoritative expertise and programming in the same sector.
Direct peers
- SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America): North America's primary solid waste management professional association. SWANA is a direct peer to ISWA: both are non-profit membership bodies serving waste professionals, run conferences, certification programs, and Young Professionals groups, and SWANA is already an ISWA partner for joint YPG training.
- CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management): UK's leading professional body for waste and resource management. CIWM is a direct peer serving the same professional audience with similar membership tiers, certifications, and events; it is also ISWA's UK national member and is co-hosting the 2026 ISWA World Congress.
- FEAD (European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services): European federation representing national waste management trade associations. FEAD is a direct peer to ISWA in the European policy and advocacy space, representing the waste management industry to EU institutions and operating with a similar non-profit, membership-based model.
- IWMSA (Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa): South Africa's national waste management professional association. IWMSA is a direct peer serving regional waste professionals with similar membership, events, and training; it is ISWA's national member for Southern Africa and is hosting WasteCon 2026 celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Regional players
- WMRR (Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia): Australia's peak industry body for waste management and resource recovery. WMRR is a regional peer operating in the same non-profit membership association model as ISWA but focused on the Australian and Asia-Pacific market, directly competing for members and sponsors in the APAC region.
- NWRA (National Waste & Recycling Association): US trade association representing the private waste and recycling industry. NWRA is a regional peer in the same non-profit association space, primarily serving North American haulers and recyclers, with overlapping content and event offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ISWA social profiles
Digital presenceISWA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ISWA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
ISWA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ISWA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ISWA
What does ISWA do?
ISWA is a global non-profit membership association that promotes sustainable waste management and the transition to a circular economy. It sells tiered organizational and individual memberships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Individual, Student, Digital), the International Waste Manager (IWM) professional certification, scientific publications including the Waste Management & Research journal and Waste Management World magazine, and paid access to its annual World Congress and Beacon Conferences.
Is ISWA a public or private company?
ISWA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ISWA founded?
ISWA was founded in 1970. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ISWA based?
ISWA is headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does ISWA make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Revenue, publication Subscriptions, sponsorship Revenue and certification and Training.
Who are ISWA's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are World Biogas Association, US Composting Council and ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management). UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America), CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management), FEAD (European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services) and IWMSA (Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa). Regional players are WMRR (Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia) and NWRA (National Waste & Recycling Association).
Does ISWA have an API?
No public API is recorded for ISWA.
What industry is ISWA in?
ISWA's product category is Professional Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHABAC, Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.