COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 562119

Other Waste Collection

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

6companies1880–1989founding years5still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedShanks Group plc
1880
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedBerliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe
1922
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedKelda Group plcFoundedShred-It Canada Corporation
1988
FoundedPennon Group PlcFoundedSevern Trent PLC
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Shanks Group plc →
Active · founded 1880 · United Kingdom
Buckinghamshire, England's Shanks Group plc is the United Kingdom's leading independent waste management company.
Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe →
Active · founded 1922 · Germany
As Berlin's principal waste collector, Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR) is Germany's largest municipal waste…
Kelda Group plc →
Defunct · founded 1988 · United Kingdom
Kelda Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's leading water services and wastewater management companies.
Shred-It Canada Corporation →
Active · founded 1988 · Canada
Shred-It Canada Corporation provides mobile document shredding services to over 120,000 companies and organizations…
Pennon Group Plc →
Active · founded 1989 · United Kingdom
Pennon Group Plc is a holding company for two primary subsidiaries: South West Water Limited, which provides water…
Severn Trent PLC →
Active · founded 1989 · United Kingdom
As the fourth largest non-government-owned water company in the world, Severn Trent PLC supplies water and sewerage…
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