Dive Brief:

• Waste Management has acquired Milwaukee recycling assets from Pioneer Industries for undisclosed terms, as reported by BizTimes.
• The acquisition includes Pioneer's rolling stock, book of business, baler and other equipment.
• Pioneer's Milwaukee facility specialized in cardboard, recovered fiber and other commodities. This real estate is not included in the deal and operations will be consolidated at Waste Management's existing facility in the city.

Dive Insight:

Pioneer has operations in six other states and employs about 250 people. Waste Management also has facilities in the cities of Janesville, Madison, Menasha and this helps further consolidate their presence in the region. The company's Germantown facility is the state's largest recycling sorting plant.

"We’re expanding our strategic investment in one of recycling’s strongest niche services, high-volume recycling for business and industry," said Mike Ayers, area director of recycling operations for Waste Management, in a press release. "Commercial enterprises can produce high volumes of clean, consistent recyclables that often find ready markets."

Waste Management announced positive Q2 earnings in July, though reported that recycling revenues were down compared to last year. CEO David Steiner recently said the industry is in a "recycling recession." Steiner has also said that Waste Management is beginning to focus on collecting more cost-effective material such as fiber and this acquisition helps further that approach.