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Industry · Form 5500 business code 562000
Waste Management and Remediation Services: retirement plans
Plans whose sponsor entered this principal business activity code on Form 5500.
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. The business code is chosen by the filer from the list in the Form 5500 instructions.
For plan year 2024, 192 retirement plans in waste management and remediation services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 180 defined contribution and 12 defined benefit. They reported 285,030 participant records and $20.4B in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $41,283 per participant, well below the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $2,144 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $115 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $742M and participants $920M during the year, and the plans paid out $2.19B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 193 plans with $7.27B; by 2024 it was 192 plans (down 1%) and $20.4B (up 181%). From plan year 2023 the 100-participant line counts participants with account balances, which moved many plans to the short form.
Medians compared with all US plans
| Median plan, plan year 2024 | Industry: DC | US: DC | Industry: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $41,283 | $53,031 | $109,666 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,144 | $2,174 | $16,266 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $115 | $123 | $671 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.29% | 0.26% | 0.56% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $117 | $116 | $809 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (173 DC and 12 DB plans with a Schedule H here). Fee medians cover plans reporting an amount. DC: defined contribution, such as 401(k) and 403(b). DB: defined benefit pension.
Distribution of DC plans
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $19,590 | $41,283 | $70,896 | 173 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,174 | $2,144 | $3,211 | 173 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $60.09 | $115 | $191 | 159 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $48.59 | $117 | $184 | 170 |
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans 100+ | Participants | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Median DC assets / participant | Median DC Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025partial | 23 | 21,258 | $1.02B | $39.9M | $78.4M | $52,274 | $142 |
| 2024 | 192 | 285,030 | $20.4B | $742M | $920M | $41,283 | $115 |
| 2023 | 196 | 285,425 | $18.5B | $722M | $852M | $40,724 | $104 |
| 2022 | 223 | 283,590 | $15.9B | $689M | $787M | $29,679 | $100 |
| 2021 | 224 | 275,226 | $18.3B | $619M | $721M | $35,144 | $112 |
| 2020 | 221 | 252,907 | $16.9B | $578M | $644M | $32,754 | $93.71 |
| 2019 | 228 | 264,769 | $15.4B | $542M | $614M | $28,272 | $82.48 |
| 2018 | 227 | 268,150 | $13.5B | $501M | $556M | $23,691 | $73.97 |
| 2017 | 218 | 267,059 | $14.5B | $507M | $497M | $24,771 | $60.23 |
| 2016 | 208 | 250,580 | $12.7B | $478M | $440M | $21,340 | $43.42 |
| 2015 | 201 | 250,803 | $11.8B | $454M | $411M | $23,494 | $46.49 |
| 2014 | 206 | 243,512 | $11.2B | $381M | $373M | $22,494 | $40.03 |
| 2013 | 206 | 244,745 | $11.1B | $406M | $366M | $21,929 | $33.49 |
| 2012 | 199 | 240,368 | $9.69B | $389M | $357M | $19,111 | $42.14 |
| 2011 | 205 | 246,527 | $8.75B | $402M | $345M | $17,301 | $36.26 |
| 2010 | 194 | 235,784 | $8.29B | $357M | $334M | $17,098 | $40.03 |
| 2009 | 193 | 238,635 | $7.27B | $306M | $301M | $15,322 | $29.48 |
Plan year is the year in which the plan year began. The drop in large plans from 2023 follows a rule change: the 100-participant line now counts participants with account balances, so many plans moved to the short form.
Provider share
Service provider organisations named most often on the Schedule C of the 193 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 193 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Retirement Savings Plan | Waste Management, Inc. | TX | DC | 47,129 | $4.08B | $86,523 | $3,148 | $32.21 |
| Republic Services, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Republic Services, Inc. | AZ | DC | 42,086 | $2.67B | $63,365 | $2,653 | $85.03 |
| Waste Connections, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Waste Connections, Inc. | TX | DC | 19,471 | $799M | $41,053 | $2,114 | $80.59 |
| Stericycle, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan | Stericycle, Inc. | IL | DC | 11,061 | $417M | $37,745 | $1,319 | $73.73 |
| Local No. 731, I.B. of T., Pension Fund | Local No. 731, I.B. of T., Pension Fund | IL | DB | 8,408 | $1.10B | $130,574 | $18,643 | $570 |
| Hanford Multi-Employer Pension Plan | Hanford Pension & Savings Plans Committee | WA | DB | 7,714 | $1.22B | $157,601 | $64,404 | $671 |
| Waste Pro USA, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Waste Pro USA, Inc. | FL | DC | 6,139 | $81.1M | $13,204 | $709 | $145 |
| Recology Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Recology Inc. | CA | DC | 5,987 | $529M | $88,314 | $2,144 | — |
| Hanford Operations and Engineering Investment Plan | Hanford Pension and Savings Plans Committee | WA | DC | 5,900 | $1.31B | $221,391 | $7,701 | $108 |
| Casella Waste Systems 401(k) Plan | Casella Waste Systems, Inc. | VT | DC | 4,353 | $161M | $36,965 | $1,153 | $70.59 |
| Rumpke 401(k) Retirement Plan | Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc. | OH | DC | 4,268 | $206M | $48,343 | $1,641 | $133 |
| Hanford Contractors Multi-Employer Savings Plan for Hamtc Represented Employees | Hanford Pension and Savings Plans Committee | WA | DC | 4,260 | $710M | $166,733 | $5,491 | $140 |
| SA Recycling, LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | SA Recycling, LLC | CA | DC | 3,926 | $190M | $48,513 | $2,924 | $122 |
| United Site Services, Inc. 401(k) Plan | United Site Services, Inc. | MA | DC | 3,918 | $96.1M | $24,527 | $914 | $65.45 |
| Recycling and General Industrial Union Local 108 Annuity Fund | Board of Trustees - Recycling and Gen. Ind. Union L 108 Annuity Fund | NJ | DC | 3,823 | $18.7M | $4,900 | $813 | $33.04 |
| Pension Plan Private Sanitation Union Local 813 Ibt | Board of Trustees of Pension Fund Private Sanitation Union Local 813 I | NY | DB | 3,308 | $279M | $84,214 | $14,850 | $316 |
| Qualawash Holdings, LLC 401(k) Retirement Plan | Qualawash Holdings, LLC | FL | DC | 3,234 | $87.9M | $27,177 | $2,258 | $110 |
| Athens Services 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Athens Services | CA | DC | 2,672 | $122M | $45,639 | $2,919 | $143 |
| Interstate Waste Services 401(k) Plan | Action Environmental Group, Inc. | NJ | DC | 2,657 | $45.1M | $16,964 | $664 | $48.76 |
| TMS International Corporation Hourly Employees 401(k) and Retirement Plan | TMS International Corporation | PA | DC | 2,413 | $36.9M | $15,303 | $1,882 | $62.46 |
| Recology Defined Benefit Pension Plan | Recology Inc. | CA | DB | 2,296 | $575M | $250,632 | $3,229 | $706 |
| Recology 401(k) Plan | Recology Inc. | CA | DC | 2,096 | $105M | $50,151 | $3,278 | $10.34 |
| Waste Management Pension Plan for Collectively Bargained Employees | Waste Management Holdings, Inc. | TX | DB | 2,008 | $111M | $55,275 | $2,681 | $317 |
| Energysolutions, LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Energysolutions, LLC | UT | DC | 1,985 | $275M | $138,489 | $4,533 | $231 |
| Burrtec Retirement Savings Plan | Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. | CA | DC | 1,982 | $163M | $82,465 | $2,857 | $143 |
| Heritage Environmental Services, LLC Retirement Savings Plan | Arcwood Environmental, LLC | IN | DC | 1,935 | $223M | $115,192 | $2,512 | $41.91 |
| Edco Deferred Compensation Plan | Edco Disposal Corporation | CA | DC | 1,903 | $142M | $74,614 | $4,388 | $157 |
| Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Pension Plan | Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC | NM | DB | 1,838 | $233M | $126,688 | $15,118 | $705 |
| Denali Retirement Plan | Denali Water Solutions LLC | AR | DC | 1,792 | $49.8M | $27,794 | $3,454 | $63.42 |
| Portsmouth D&D 401(k) Savings Plan | Fluor-Bwxt Portsmouth LLC | OH | DC | 1,647 | $278M | $168,698 | $9,009 | $219 |
| Recycling and General Industrial Union Local 108 Pension Fund | Board of Trustees - Recycling and General Industrial Union Local 108 | NJ | DB | 1,633 | $38.3M | $23,429 | $1,971 | $183 |
| Triumvirate Environmental, Inc. Savings, Profit Sharing & Retirement Plan | Triumvirate Environmental, Inc. | MA | DC | 1,566 | $57.6M | $36,760 | $710 | $83.23 |
| Amwtp Employee Investment Plan | Idaho Environmental Coalition, LLC | ID | DC | 1,518 | $265M | $174,421 | $10,344 | $90.54 |
| Wind River Environmental 401(k) Plan | Wind River Environmental, LLC | MA | DC | 1,503 | $31.9M | $21,208 | $1,082 | $132 |
| Puerto Rico Waste Management Group Corp. 1165(E) Plan | Puerto Rico Waste Management Group Corp. | PR | DC | 1,463 | $7.3M | $5,023 | $157 | $101 |
| Lakeshore Recycling Systems 401(k) Plan | Lakeshore Recycling Systems | IL | DC | 1,457 | $28.2M | $19,344 | $2,225 | $88.18 |
| Local 813 Savings and Thrift Trust Fund | Board of Trustees of Local 813 Savings and Thrift Trust Fund | NY | DC | 1,398 | $30.5M | $21,799 | $3,156 | $120 |
| Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Savings Plan | Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC | NM | DC | 1,387 | $151M | $108,550 | $2,868 | $134 |
| Meridian Waste Acquisitions, LLC 401(k) Plan | Meridian Waste Acquisitions, LLC | NC | DC | 1,338 | $9.6M | $7,212 | $626 | $24.82 |
| Synagro Technologies Inc. 401(k) Plan | Synagro Technologies Inc. | MD | DC | 1,264 | $76.7M | $60,687 | $2,676 | $212 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in waste management and remediation services?
192 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 515 pension plans on the full form. Smaller plans file Form 5500-SF and are counted separately where shown.
What is the typical 401(k) balance in waste management and remediation services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $41,283 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $19,590 to $70,896); nationally it was $53,031. This is a plan-level average that includes former employees, not a typical person's balance.
What do employers contribute in waste management and remediation services?
The median defined contribution plan received $2,144 in employer contributions per active participant, against $2,174 nationally. Plans with no employer contribution are included at zero.
What are average 401(k) fees in waste management and remediation services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $115 per participant and 0.29% of net assets (nationally $123 and 0.26%). Schedule C leaves out fund expense ratios and fees the employer pays, so it understates total cost.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports in the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Medians are computed by this site across plans with 100 or more participants.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Totals count every pension plan on the full form; medians and the plan list cover plans with 100 or more participants. See the methodology.