DEKALB, ILL. – April 22, 2025 – WM today announced the opening of its new renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in DeKalb, Illinois, outside of Chicago. The $60 million WM DeKalb RNG facility is expected to generate approximately 1 million MMBtu per year of RNG, which serves the equivalent of 11,500 households annually or the ability to allocate fuel for up to 865 heavy-duty vehicles per day.
WM has one of the largest landfill gas-to-energy platforms in North America and has been a renewable energy player for 40 years. This is WM’s third RNG facility in the State of Illinois with the first facility opening in 2014 in Granite City, IL at WM’s Milam RNG facility. It is also part of WM’s broader planned investments in renewable energy, which are expected to total about $1.6 billion from 2022 through 2026.
“We are excited to celebrate our company’s latest renewable natural gas facility,” said Brad Pollock, WM Heartland area vice president. “The facility processes landfill gas into RNG, which is then delivered directly into the natural gas pipeline, providing a new energy source to the region.”
The DeKalb RNG facility processes landfill gas captured from the WM DeKalb Landfill as organic material decomposes to create RNG. Today, WM owns or hosts 22 RNG facilities at its landfills that convert landfill gas into pipeline-quality RNG. WM’s RNG is pushed directly into natural gas pipelines, providing a lower-emission energy source for communities across North America.
DeKalb County is committed to responsible environmental stewardship,” said DeKalb County Board Chair John Frieders, “and this RNG facility aligns well with that vision. WM’s approach to converting landfill gas into renewable energy is another model for sustainable development. Our continued community partnership is appreciated by the County.”
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About WM
WM (WM.com) is North America’s leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling, and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics, and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them pursue their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials, and is the leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas-to-electricity plants in North America. WM’s fleet includes over 12,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet in the industry in North America. To learn more about WM and the company’s sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including all statements regarding future events, future RNG projects, future investments and all outcomes or benefits of such investments. Such statements are based on the facts and circumstances as of the date the statements are made and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different. Please see Part I, Item 1A of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent Forms 10-Q, available at investors.wm.com for information regarding such risks and uncertainties. WM assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.