Casella Recognized on USA Today’s Climate Leaders List

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CWST), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, has been named to USA Today’s “America’s Climate Leaders 2024” list for the second consecutive year.

The list recognizes the top 450 companies across the United States that have achieved the greatest reduction in their operational emissions intensity between 2020 and 2022 — a measure of the amount of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases a company produces relative to its revenue – and Casella is among just three in its industry to be recognized, and one of two to have been honored in back-to-back years.

A pioneer in sustainable waste and recycling innovation, Casella established the first recycling facility in Vermont in 1977, recognized the benefits of organics and food waste recovery in the 1990’s, and was a charter member of the EPA’s Climate Leaders program in 2005.

“Sustainable innovation in material, resource, and waste management has been central to our business since its founding,” said John W. Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella. “As the only waste and recycling company among the founding members of the EPA Climate Leaders program, we recognized our ability to improve our own sustainability while also enabling our customers and the communities we serve to operate more sustainably. For every metric ton of greenhouse gas emitted through our operations, we prevent more than four metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through our recycling, energy, and carbon sequestration services.”

Casella’s history as a leader in sustainability is marked by several milestones in materials management, and its focus on climate leadership has been present for more than two decades. The company’s climate achievements were recognized in 2012 by the EPA, the Association of Climate Change Officers, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and the Climate Registry with a Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in GHG management.

“It is essential to all our key stakeholders that we link meaningful economic and environmental progress in advancing sustainability,” said Casella. “This has been central to our success and growth as a business for several decades, and it is always an honor to have those efforts recognized by others. Our industry is evolving, and we are proud to be among the leaders of this evolution.”

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain matters discussed in this press release, including, but not limited to, the statements regarding the Company’s intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning its sustainability goals and commitments and anticipated actions to meet such goals and commitments, and the Company’s progress towards, and achievement of, its sustainability strategy and vision, are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such by the context of the statements, including words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “may,” “would,” “intend,” “estimate,” “will,” “guidance” and other similar expressions, whether in the negative or affirmative. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which the Company operates and management’s beliefs and assumptions. The Company cannot guarantee that it actually will achieve the financial results, plans, intentions, expectations or guidance disclosed in the forward-looking statements made. Such forward-looking statements, and all phases of the Company's operations, involve a number of risks and uncertainties, any one or more of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in its forward-looking statements.

Such risks and uncertainties include or relate to, among other things, the following: the Company may be unable to maintain or reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions relative to changes in its revenue; the Company’s ability to enable its customers and communities to operate more sustainably.

There are a number of other important risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These additional risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, those detailed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in the Company's most recently filed Form 10-K and in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.