Hazardous Waste Management Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Hazardous Waste Management Market Report Segmented by Physical State (Solid and More), by Waste Category (Chemical Waste (Industrial) and More), by Treatment/ Disposal Method (Landfill and More), by Service (On-Site Storage and More), by Industry (Oil & Gas and More), and by Geography (North America and More). The Report Offers Market Size and Forecasts in Value (USD) for all the Above Segments.

Hazardous Waste Management Market Size and Share

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Compare market size and growth of Hazardous Waste Management Market with other markets in Professional and Commercial Services Industry

Hazardous Waste Management Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The Hazardous Waste Management Market stands at USD 52.94 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 72.66 billion by 2030, reflecting a 6.54% CAGR over the forecast window. Stricter global regulations, notably the Basel Convention’s 2024-2025 work programme and the European Union’s May 2024 Waste Shipments Regulation, are heightening compliance costs while opening new service opportunities.[1][2]Basel Convention Secretariat, “Basel Convention 2024-2025 Work Programme,” basel.int European Commission, “Regulation (EU) 2024” environment.ec.europa.euTechnology is reshaping competitive dynamics: supercritical water oxidation now achieves 99.99% PFAS destruction, and blockchain-enabled tracking systems cut collection-route emissions by 30%. Asia-Pacific’s 40.24% revenue share, supported by China’s QR-coded chemical inventory scheme, underlines the region’s dominance and the escalating need for sophisticated treatment capacity. Meanwhile, oil-and-gas decommissioning in the Middle East enlarges offshore waste volumes, and North America’s circular-economy funding is pivoting disposal models toward resource recovery.[3]Basel Convention Secretariat, “Basel Convention 2024-2025 Work Programme,” basel.int European Commission, “Regulation (EU) 2024” environment.ec.europa.eu

Key Report Takeaways

  • By physical state, liquid waste held 42% of the hazardous waste management market share in 2024; sludge is advancing at a 6.8% CAGR through 2030.
  • By waste category, chemical waste led with 41% revenue share in 2024, whereas biomedical waste posts the fastest 8.7% CAGR to 2030.
  • By treatment method, thermal technologies commanded a 40% share in 2024; recycling and resource recovery expanded at a 10.9% CAGR.
  • By service, collection and transportation contributed a 32% share in 2024, while consulting, audit, and training services grew at an 8.9% CAGR.
  • By industry, oil and gas accounted for 26% of the hazardous waste management market size in 2024; electronics and e-waste recycling are projected to rise at a 10.3% CAGR.
  • By geography, Asia-Pacific captured 40.24% market share in 2024 and is also the fastest-growing region at 6.8% CAGR.

Segment Analysis

By Physical State: Liquid Dominance Drives Infrastructure Investment

Liquid hazardous waste accounted for 42% of the hazardous waste management market share in 2024, reflecting high solvent use in pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and electronics production. Its mobility, toxicity, and groundwater-contamination risk oblige strict containment and specialised logistics. Supercritical water oxidation, now piloted at the Orange County Sanitation District, promises near-total organic destruction while shrinking disposal volumes.

Sludge is the fastest-rising physical state, growing at a 6.8% CAGR to 2030. PFAS-laden biosolids and refinery residuals drive this trend, and 374Water’s AirSCWO unit can cut wet-sludge mass by 90% while generating clean effluent. Investment is flowing into dewatering, pre-treatment, and advanced oxidation, enhancing capacity utilisation across regional plants and deepening revenue resilience for the hazardous waste management market.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Waste Category: Chemical Waste Leadership Faces Biomedical Challenge

Chemical waste retained a 41% share in 2024, underpinned by global chemicals output and stringent regulations for corrosive or reactive residues. Mature incineration and physico-chemical treatment capacity anchor this segment, but circular-economy mandates are pressuring producers to design out toxic inputs.

Biomedical waste posts the highest 8.7% CAGR, spurred by expanding healthcare capacity and post-pandemic infection-control protocols. Plasma gasification trials achieved 70.6% carbon conversion for medical plastics, offering a route to lower dioxin emissions. Firms that add medical-waste lines are diversifying revenue and elevating their profile in the hazardous waste management market.

By Treatment Method: Thermal Methods Lead While Recycling Accelerates

Thermal processes, including incineration and plasma arc, held a 40% revenue share in 2024. Their ability to deliver 99.99% destruction efficiency for mixed streams makes them indispensable, especially for infectious or POP-laden waste. Nonetheless, recycling and resource recovery outpace all sub-segments at a 10.9% CAGR through 2030, buoyed by EU and US producer-responsibility laws.

Veolia’s GreenUp strategy targets treatment of 9 million tonnes by 2027 with higher energy-capture ratios, signalling that incumbents see resource recovery as essential. Advances in plasma gasification yield syngas suitable for onsite energy, trimming operating costs, and bolstering returns. This dual focus stabilises revenues and sustains capacity additions in the hazardous waste management market.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Service: Collection Networks Enable Treatment Innovation

Collection and transportation services delivered 32% of revenue in 2024, underpinning every downstream activity. Complex ADR and DOT regulations limit new entrants and secure pricing power for compliant fleets. Artificial-intelligence route tools and IoT-enabled drums now reduce empty miles and shrink CO₂ output by 30%.

Consulting, audit, and training are the fastest-growing service lines at 8.9% CAGR, as companies grapple with multi-jurisdiction reporting, digital passports, and ESG disclosures. The EPA has trained over 14,100 environmental workers since 2023, signalling chronic skill gaps. Specialist advisory divisions therefore enjoy higher margins and deepen client stickiness across the hazardous waste management market.

By Industry: Oil & Gas Decommissioning Drives Electronics Growth

Oil and gas retained 26% of the hazardous waste management market size in 2024 on the back of drilling wastes, produced water sludge, and major decommissioning budgets. Veolia’s 70,000 t Middle East facility addresses precisely these outputs. Rig-to-reef programmes and waste-hierarchy policies are tilting processing toward recovery and reuse.

Electronics and e-waste recycling grow quickest at 10.3% CAGR, reflecting 62 billion kg of global e-waste in 2022, only 22.3% of which was properly treated. Advanced hydrometallurgical lines recovering cobalt, nickel, and rare earths are proliferating, creating high-margin niches within the hazardous waste management market.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific captured 40.24% of 2024 revenue and is forecast to grow at 6.8% CAGR to 2030, driven by electronics and battery manufacturing expansion, stringent Chinese QR-code chemical tracking, and India’s solar-panel recycling initiatives. Regional policies such as ASEAN’s framework for battery reuse and Japan’s projected 7.18-million-ton photovoltaic waste stream underline looming capacity needs. Investment is clustering in coastal industrial zones where integrated parks combine advanced incineration, resource recovery, and data-driven logistics, reinforcing Asia-Pacific’s centrality to the hazardous waste management market.

North America and Europe contribute stable, high-value streams under mature regulations. The United States’ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act channels USD 3.5 billion to Superfund sites and USD 1.5 billion to Brownfields, pivoting focus from disposal toward reclamation. Europe’s Waste Shipments Regulation introduces continent-wide digital tracking, stimulating demand for blockchain-enabled compliance solutions. Both regions are intensifying PFAS restrictions, driving early adoption of supercritical water oxidation and plasma technologies.

Middle East and Africa remain emergent yet lucrative. Gulf decommissioning projects enlarge sludge and scale build-out, while Saudi Arabia’s 620 million-kg annual e-waste dilemma spotlights the absence of full producer-responsibility frameworks. Africa’s fragmented generator base hinders efficient logistics, but Rwanda’s five-year plan and South Africa’s private-sector investments illustrate a gradual shift toward formalised hazardous waste chains. As integrated facilities proliferate, the region’s contribution to the global hazardous waste management market should incrementally rise.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual regions available upon report purchase

Competitive Landscape

The Hazardous Waste Management Market is moderately concentrated. Industry consolidation is advancing as vertically integrated leaders seek economies of scope. Waste Management’s USD 7 billion acquisition of Stericycle broadens its medical-waste footprint and aggregates transport capacity, signaling that scale remains a defensive moat. Similarly, Veolia’s GreenUp program allocates multi-billion-dollar capex for hazardous waste plant upgrades and AI-enabled control rooms to lift material recovery rates.

Technology leadership is now a core differentiator. General Atomics' EPA-validated iSCWO unit provides 99.99% PFAS destruction, positioning early adopters for regulatory-driven premium pricing. Clean Harbors’ Total PFAS Solutions targets the same niche with proprietary sorbents. Smaller disruptors, such as 374Water's modular AirSCWO skids, enable decentralized treatment for municipal clients.

Geographic expansion strategies favour Asia-Pacific hubs and Middle East decommissioning corridors. Western majors partner with local incumbents such as Veolia’s ADQ alliance, securing regulatory clearance and feedstock certainty. Digital-platform entrants leverage blockchain to win European traceability tenders, carving data-centric profit pools. Competitive intensity therefore pivots on both asset scale and digital acumen across the hazardous waste management market.

Hazardous Waste Management Industry Leaders

  1. Veolia Environnement SA

  2. Waste Management Inc.

  3. Clean Harbors Inc.

  4. Suez SA

  5. Republic Services Inc.

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Hazardous Waste Management Market Concentration
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Recent Industry Developments

  • January 2025: General Atomics began demonstrating its industrial SCWO system at Clean Earth’s North Carolina site under a Department of Defense contract, achieving 99.99% PFAS destruction efficiency.
  • October 2024: Veolia North America unveiled a high-temperature thermal plant, solar array, and reforestation program at its Arkansas hazardous-waste campus.
  • May 2024: The EU implemented a new Waste Shipments Regulation, mandating digital tracking and tighter export controls to non-OECD countries.
  • March 2024: The US EPA directed USD 3.5 billion to Superfund and USD 1.5 billion to Brownfields clean-up, prioritising resource recovery.

Table of Contents for Hazardous Waste Management Industry Report

1. Introduction

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions & Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Market Insights and Dynamics

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Market Drivers
    • 4.2.1 Stringent Compliance Pressure from Basel, Stockholm & Minamata-aligned National Regulations
    • 4.2.2 Rapid Growth of Complex Waste Streams from Battery, PV & EV-Manufacturing in Asia
    • 4.2.3 Surging Cross-Border Waste Trade Creating Demand for Traceability Solutions in Europe
    • 4.2.4 Rise of Circular-Economy Targets Driving Hazardous Waste-to-Resource Projects in North America
    • 4.2.5 Oil & Gas Well-Decommissioning Wave Boosting Offshore Hazardous Waste Volumes in Middle East
  • 4.3 Market Restraints
    • 4.3.1 High CAPEX Requirements for Advanced Plasma & Supercritical Oxidation Facilities
    • 4.3.2 Fragmented Generator Base Increases Collection & Logistics Complexity in Africa
    • 4.3.3 Community Opposition (“Not-In-My-Backyard”) Delays New Landfill / Incinerator Permits
    • 4.3.4 Limited Availability of Skilled HAZMAT Workforce Elevates Operating Costs
  • 4.4 Value / Supply-Chain Analysis
  • 4.5 Regulatory Outlook
  • 4.6 Technological Outlook (AI-enabled Tracking, Plasma Gasification, SCWO)
  • 4.7 Trade Flow Analysis (Imports & Exports)
  • 4.8 Macroeconomic Indicator Correlation (GDP Distribution by Activity)
  • 4.9 Industry Attractiveness - Porter’s Five Forces
    • 4.9.1 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.9.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Generators
    • 4.9.3 Bargaining Power of Treatment/Disposal Suppliers
    • 4.9.4 Threat of Substitutes (On-site Treatment, Waste Minimisation)
    • 4.9.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

5. Market Size & Growth Forecasts (Value In USD Billion)

  • 5.1 By Physical State
    • 5.1.1 Solid
    • 5.1.2 Liquid
    • 5.1.3 Sludge
  • 5.2 By Waste Category
    • 5.2.1 Chemical Waste (Industrial)
    • 5.2.2 E-Waste (batteries, etc)
    • 5.2.3 Biomedical / Clinical Waste
    • 5.2.4 Radioactive Waste
    • 5.2.5 Others (Flammable & Explosive Waste, Corrosive & Oxidising Waste)
  • 5.3 By Treatment/ Disposal Method
    • 5.3.1 Physico-Chemical Treatment (Neutralisation, Precipitation, Stabilisation, Solidification, Oxidation, etc)
    • 5.3.2 Thermal Treatment (Incineration, Plasma Arc, Pyrolysis)
    • 5.3.3 Biological Treatment (Anaerobic, Composting)
    • 5.3.4 Landfill
    • 5.3.5 Recycling & Resource Recovery
    • 5.3.6 Others (Encapsulation, Deep-Well, etc)
  • 5.4 By Service
    • 5.4.1 Collection & Transportation
    • 5.4.2 On-site Storage
    • 5.4.3 Treatment & Disposal
    • 5.4.4 Consulting, Audit & Training
  • 5.5 By Industry
    • 5.5.1 Oil & Gas
    • 5.5.2 Chemical & Petrochemical Manufacturing
    • 5.5.3 Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
    • 5.5.4 Mining & Metallurgy
    • 5.5.5 Power Generation (Coal, Nuclear)
    • 5.5.6 Construction & Demolition
    • 5.5.7 Automotive & General Manufacturing
    • 5.5.8 Electronics & E-waste Recycling
    • 5.5.9 Others (marine, municipal, agriculture, etc.)
  • 5.6 By Geography
    • 5.6.1 North America
    • 5.6.1.1 United States
    • 5.6.1.2 Canada
    • 5.6.1.3 Mexico
    • 5.6.2 South America
    • 5.6.2.1 Brazil
    • 5.6.2.2 Argentina
    • 5.6.2.3 Rest of South America
    • 5.6.3 Asia-Pacific
    • 5.6.3.1 China
    • 5.6.3.2 India
    • 5.6.3.3 Japan
    • 5.6.3.4 South Korea
    • 5.6.3.5 ASEAN (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam)
    • 5.6.3.6 Australia
    • 5.6.3.7 Rest of Asia-Pacific
    • 5.6.4 Europe
    • 5.6.4.1 Germany
    • 5.6.4.2 United Kingdom
    • 5.6.4.3 France
    • 5.6.4.4 Italy
    • 5.6.4.5 Spain
    • 5.6.4.6 BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)
    • 5.6.4.7 NORDICS (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
    • 5.6.4.8 Rest of Europe
    • 5.6.5 Middle East & Africa
    • 5.6.5.1 Saudi Arabia
    • 5.6.5.2 United Arab Emirates
    • 5.6.5.3 Qatar
    • 5.6.5.4 Turkey
    • 5.6.5.5 South Africa
    • 5.6.5.6 Nigeria
    • 5.6.5.7 Egypt
    • 5.6.5.8 Rest of Middle East and Africa

6. Competitive Landscape

  • 6.1 Market Concentration
  • 6.2 Strategic Moves (M&A, JVs, PPPs)
  • 6.3 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global-level Overview, Market-level Overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Products & Services, Recent Developments)
    • 6.4.1 Veolia Environnement SA
    • 6.4.2 Waste Management Inc.
    • 6.4.3 Clean Harbors Inc.
    • 6.4.4 Suez SA
    • 6.4.5 Republic Services Inc.
    • 6.4.6 Stericycle Inc.
    • 6.4.7 Covanta Holding Corp.
    • 6.4.8 Biffa plc
    • 6.4.9 GFL Environmental Inc.
    • 6.4.10 Valicor Environmental Services
    • 6.4.11 Remondis SE & Co. KG
    • 6.4.12 Urbaser S.A.U.
    • 6.4.13 Daiseki Co. Ltd.
    • 6.4.14 Hitachi Zosen Corp.
    • 6.4.15 Beijing Capital Eco-Environment Protection Group
    • 6.4.16 SOS Waste Management (Turkey)
    • 6.4.17 Sharps Compliance Inc.
    • 6.4.18 Sims Lifecycle Services
    • 6.4.19 Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    • 6.4.20 Heritage-Crystal Clean LLC
    • 6.4.21 EnviroServ Waste Management (Pty) Ltd

7. Market Opportunities & Future Outlook

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Global Hazardous Waste Management Market Report Scope

The hazardous waste management industry involves handling waste materials that pose significant risks to human health and the environment. This includes collecting, treating, disposing of, and recycling materials deemed hazardous, often due to their toxicity, flammability, corrosiveness, reactivity, or radioactivity.

The hazardous waste management market is segmented by type (solid, liquid, and sludge), waste (chemicals, biomedical, radioactive, and other waste (corrosive, flammable, etc.)), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The report offers market sizes and forecasts in value (USD) for all the above segments.

By Physical State Solid
Liquid
Sludge
By Waste Category Chemical Waste (Industrial)
E-Waste (batteries, etc)
Biomedical / Clinical Waste
Radioactive Waste
Others (Flammable & Explosive Waste, Corrosive & Oxidising Waste)
By Treatment/ Disposal Method Physico-Chemical Treatment (Neutralisation, Precipitation, Stabilisation, Solidification, Oxidation, etc)
Thermal Treatment (Incineration, Plasma Arc, Pyrolysis)
Biological Treatment (Anaerobic, Composting)
Landfill
Recycling & Resource Recovery
Others (Encapsulation, Deep-Well, etc)
By Service Collection & Transportation
On-site Storage
Treatment & Disposal
Consulting, Audit & Training
By Industry Oil & Gas
Chemical & Petrochemical Manufacturing
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Mining & Metallurgy
Power Generation (Coal, Nuclear)
Construction & Demolition
Automotive & General Manufacturing
Electronics & E-waste Recycling
Others (marine, municipal, agriculture, etc.)
By Geography North America United States
Canada
Mexico
South America Brazil
Argentina
Rest of South America
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
ASEAN (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam)
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
Europe Germany
United Kingdom
France
Italy
Spain
BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)
NORDICS (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
Rest of Europe
Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Turkey
South Africa
Nigeria
Egypt
Rest of Middle East and Africa
By Physical State
Solid
Liquid
Sludge
By Waste Category
Chemical Waste (Industrial)
E-Waste (batteries, etc)
Biomedical / Clinical Waste
Radioactive Waste
Others (Flammable & Explosive Waste, Corrosive & Oxidising Waste)
By Treatment/ Disposal Method
Physico-Chemical Treatment (Neutralisation, Precipitation, Stabilisation, Solidification, Oxidation, etc)
Thermal Treatment (Incineration, Plasma Arc, Pyrolysis)
Biological Treatment (Anaerobic, Composting)
Landfill
Recycling & Resource Recovery
Others (Encapsulation, Deep-Well, etc)
By Service
Collection & Transportation
On-site Storage
Treatment & Disposal
Consulting, Audit & Training
By Industry
Oil & Gas
Chemical & Petrochemical Manufacturing
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Mining & Metallurgy
Power Generation (Coal, Nuclear)
Construction & Demolition
Automotive & General Manufacturing
Electronics & E-waste Recycling
Others (marine, municipal, agriculture, etc.)
By Geography
North America United States
Canada
Mexico
South America Brazil
Argentina
Rest of South America
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
ASEAN (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam)
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
Europe Germany
United Kingdom
France
Italy
Spain
BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)
NORDICS (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
Rest of Europe
Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Turkey
South Africa
Nigeria
Egypt
Rest of Middle East and Africa
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Key Questions Answered in the Report

What is the current size of the hazardous waste management market?

The market is valued at USD 52.94 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 72.66 billion by 2030.

Which region holds the largest share of the hazardous waste management market?

Asia-Pacific leads with 40.24% of 2024 revenue and also posts the fastest 6.8% CAGR to 2030.

Which treatment method is growing fastest?

Recycling and resource-recovery services are expanding at a 10.9% CAGR, driven by circular-economy mandates.

Why are supercritical water oxidation systems gaining attention?

They achieve 99.99% destruction of PFAS and other persistent pollutants, meeting new regulatory bans on incineration.

How is the oil and gas sector influencing market growth?

Extensive decommissioning programmes generate large sludge volumes, keeping oil and gas the leading industry segment with 26% revenue share.

What major acquisition affected the competitive landscape recently?

Waste Management’s USD 7 billion purchase of Stericycle created the largest single transaction in the sector and broadened its medical-waste reach.

Page last updated on: June 16, 2025

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