Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

“I’ve always believed in hard work, pride in the job, and taking care of the people around you. You know, the people are the heart and soul of making a place work. When you sit down, understand the people, and support them the best you can — that’s when you build something that lasts. This place and these people have meant a lot to me over the years.” 💬 Rick Homan 🚛 Operations Manager 📍 Oneonta, NY After more than 20 years of dedication to the Oneonta, NY division, Operations Manager Rick Homan’s impact reaches far beyond the work itself. Through his leadership, mentorship, and commitment to the people around him, he helped shape his team's culture and foundation in a lasting way. Thank you for everything you’ve given over the years, and congratulations on a well-earned retirement!

🚛 Casella Driver Rob Prokey – Scarborough, ME “Our son absolutely loves the trash truck and looks forward to Wednesdays every week. Rob always waves, honks, and acknowledges him, which completely makes his day. Those small gestures have clearly meant a lot to him. So much that we have about 8 large trash truck toys. I know this can be a thankless job sometimes, and people are usually quicker to complain than compliment, so I wanted to make sure someone knew how appreciated he is.” 💬 Melissa – South Portland, ME

Placing GPS trackers containing lithium-ion batteries into the recycling stream can cause catastrophic fires on trucks, in transfer stations, and at recycling facilities. This puts our employees, our neighbors, and entire communities at risk. We have invested significantly in recycling infrastructure and education on acceptable materials for single-stream recycling. Placing unacceptable materials into recyclables is exactly what we are constantly trying to discourage our customers from doing, so any group that intentionally introduces the most dangerous contaminant we see in our facilities should not be viewed as credible when it comes to recycling. Bottom line: Finish your drink, put your cup in your recycling bin, and be confident it will get recycled. Recycling works when we all work together to close the loop.

Casella’s long‑standing commitment to the Old Town Orono YMCA reflects our belief that strong communities grow from shared investment. By supporting youth programs, scholarships, and local events, Casella helps ensure that every child and family, regardless of circumstance, has access to the opportunities that make this community thrive. This partnership continues to deepen the Y’s impact while reinforcing Casella’s deep commitment to the people and places it serves.

A Load of Opportunity 🚛 ♻️ The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority (GLRA) and Casella are demonstrating what sustainability leadership looks like by teaming up to launch a mattress recycling pilot that’s already making a measurable impact in Lebanon County. Rooted in GLRA’s drive to expand recycling opportunities and powered by Casella’s proven mattress recycling expertise, the partnership is turning a long-standing disposal challenge into a new stream of recoverable materials, while gathering the data needed to build a smarter, more resilient future for the region.

👏 👏 👏 A standout commitment to community service has earned Casella Oneonta, NY Territory Sales Representative Adam Stoutenburg the honor of being named the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year. The award, presented at the Chamber’s Annual Business Dinner on May 14, recognizes individuals whose leadership, dedication, and service strengthen the fabric of the county.

Our commitment to teamwork, sustainability, and creating value from waste was on full display as we officially cut the ribbon on the Waga Energy renewable natural gas facility at the Chemung County Landfill. We were thrilled to be joined by our partners from the town of Chemung, Chemung County, Waga Energy, and Valley Energy to celebrate this achievement. Utilizing Waga Energy's patented WAGABOX® technology to upgrade landfill gas into pipeline‑quality RNG, which is injected directly into the Valley Energy natural gas distribution network, supplying the region with a renewable alternative to fossil natural gas. The facility is designed to generate up to 610,000 MMBtu of renewable gas annually and is expected to avoid more than 47,000 tons of CO2‑equivalent emissions each year.

Teamwork 🤝 In the office, out on the road, or within our local communities, we support each other and succeed as one.

Seeing is believing. 👀 ♻️ As a part of Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Recycling in Action Month, we hosted tours in Boston, MA and Clifton Park, NY to show our communities exactly how your recyclables are handled. Learn how every choice makes a big difference at casella.com/recyclebetter.

Stitching Together a More Sustainable Approach with Portland Mattress Makers 🪡 ♻️ The partnership between Casella and Portland Mattress Makers is rooted in a shared commitment to durability, resource conservation, and responsible material recovery. By crafting long‑lasting mattresses and working with Casella to ensure those products are properly recycled at the end of their life, the PMM team is helping divert valuable materials from disposal and strengthen the regional circular economy. "Sustainability starts with having something that lasts a long time, " said George Samaras, Owner of Portland Mattress Makers. "We knew we wanted to take meaningful action, but it was Casella that reached out and showed us exactly how mattress recycling could work. Their approach aligned perfectly with the direction we’d been hoping to go, and partnering with them made the transition both practical and impactful." Together, Casella and Portland Mattress Makers are demonstrating how thoughtful manufacturing and innovative recycling solutions can reinforce one another, creating products that last longer, waste less, and support a more sustainable future.