Waste Collection

Businesses and organizations in the Waste Collection industry (NAICS code 5621, part of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management sector) received 6,719 PPP loans totaling $905.5M during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average loan for this industry was $134,773 — above the national PPP average of approximately $67,000. This reflects the small business character of most participants in this industry, typically sole proprietors and micro-businesses with modest payroll obligations.

95.3% of loans in this industry were forgiven — totaling $896.0M. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers had to demonstrate that they maintained headcount and compensation levels and used at least 60% of loan proceeds for payroll expenses.

Notable recipients in this industry include RUBICON GLOBAL, LLC of ATLANTA, GA ($9,779,000); PATRIOT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC. of WILMINGTON, CA ($7,055,900); and CALIFORNIA WASTE SOLUTIONS INC of OAKLAND, CA ($6,808,100).

The loan amount distribution for this industry shows a more even spread across loan sizes, suggesting a mix of small and mid-sized businesses. Because borrower names are withheld for loans under $150,000, a substantial portion of recipients in this industry may not appear by name in this dataset.

As part of the broader Administrative and Support and Waste Management sector — office administration, hiring and placing personnel, cleaning, waste management. — businesses in NAICS 5621 were particularly reliant on PPP assistance to bridge the gap between declining revenues and fixed overhead obligations during the shutdown period.