Republic Services earnings: third quarter 2026

Republic Services, which collects, recycles and disposes of waste across the United States, grew sales 8.2% to $4,559 million in the third quarter of 2026. Higher prices, fuel fees charged to customers, its environmental solutions business and acquisitions drove the rise, while the amount of waste it handled fell slightly. Fuel costs rose faster than sales. The company raised its forecasts for the year's sales, operating profit and spare cash. ¹

The strong points

• Sales grew 8.2% from a year ago, to $4,559 million, more than twice as fast as a year earlier. ¹
• Environmental solutions, which handles industrial and hazardous waste, was the fastest-growing business, with net sales of $529 million against $433 million a year ago. ¹
• The company is turning its profit into cash: free cash flow, the cash left after running the business and investing in it, reached $2,276 million in the first nine months, up from $2,191 million. ¹

The weak points

• Fuel was the biggest cost squeeze, rising to $180 million from $120 million, so costs grew faster than sales. ¹
• Underneath, the core business slowed: average price increases added 2.9% to sales against 4.0% a year ago, and the amount of waste handled fell. ¹

What the company expects

• Republic Services raised its forecast for the year's sales, to between $17.425 billion and $17.475 billion. ¹
• It also raised its forecast for the year's operating profit, on its own adjusted measure, to between $5.550 billion and $5.575 billion. It lifted its forecast for spare cash too. ¹

Our verdict on the quarter

A strong report. Sales grew solidly and the company raised its forecasts for the year's sales, profit and cash, but rising fuel costs, slower price rises and less waste handled are a real soft spot under the headline growth.

The results as published

• The results release itself
• The filing it came with (SEC)

Notes

1. Republic Services's results release, 29 October 2026: sec.gov. ↩