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GRI Content Index

GRI 102: GENERAL DISCLOSURES, 2016

1. ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

102-1 Name of the organization p. 3

Casella Waste Systems, Inc

102-2 Activities, brands, products, services

Primary brands = Zero-Sort® Recycling, Casella Organics®, earthlife®, SEED®, ACR™, Recycle Better™, and Beyond the Bin™

102-3 Location of headquarters p. 3

Rutland, VT

102-4 Location of operations p.3

Northeastern United States (VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, NY, PA)

102-5 Ownership and legal form

Corporation

102-6 Markets served

Sectors served include residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, retail, municipal, and agricultural. Our customers include those who generate waste and those who purchase our products.

102-7 Scale of organization p. 3

# of employees: 2,964 (as of 12/31/2021), Net sales: Revenue: $889.2 million (2021), Quantity of products or services provided: 6.6 million tons managed (2021), 6/30/2022 figures are available on page 2 of, 2020 Sustainability Report

102-8 Information on employees & other workers p. 12-17

Total employees: 3,129 (as of 6/2022), By employment contract: 81% hourly, 19% salary (as of 3/2022), By gender: 19% female (3/2022), By race: 16% non-white (3/2022), *See DE&I discussion on p13

102-9 Supply chain

Casella's primary areas of purchasing include heavy-duty collection vehicles, recycling equipment, and landfill construction materials. The company's environmental impact derives primarily from the types and quantities of residuals we receive from our customers, and the degree to which those materials are properly sorted and characterized for recycling or disposal.

102-10 Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain

Since issuing our 2020 sustainability report, the Company has completed strategic acquisitions that have included the expansion of our presence into Connecticut and the integration of other strategic assets in the northeastern U.S. The company also decommissioned a small landfill gas to energy facility in Maine.

102-12 External initiatives

External economic, environmental, or social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which we subscribe or which we endorse: EPA America Recycles Pledge, New Hampshire Clean Energy Principles

102-13 Membership of associations Appendix E

2. STRATEGY

102-14 Statement of senior decision maker p. 5

3. ETHICS & INTEGRITY

102-16 Values, standards, principles, norms pp. 12-17 Appendix C

Core Values, Our people, Environmental policy

4. GOVERNANCE

102-18 Governance structure Appendix D

5. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

102-40 List of stakeholder groups p. 4

102-41 Collective bargaining agreements

5.2% as of 12/31/2021

102-42 Identifying and selecting stakeholders Appendix B

102-43 Approach to stakeholder engagement Appendix B

102-44 Key topics and concerns raised p. 4

6. REPORTING PRACTICE

102-45 Entities included in consolidated financial statements

This information can be found in our 2021 Form 10-K

102-46 Defining report content and topic boundaries p. 4, Appendix A

102-47 List of material topics p. 4

102-48 Restatements of information

None.

102-49 Changes in reporting

None.

102-50 Reporting period p. 4

102-51 Date of most recent report

2020 (full report); 2021 (progress update)

102-52 Reporting cycle

Biennial

102-53 Contact point for questions regarding the report p. 3

102-54 Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI standards

This report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: core option

102-55 GRI content index p. 42-43

303: WATER & EFFLUENTS, 2018

303-1 Interactions with water as a shared resource

The company's water consumption is low, primarily consisting of use for sanitation and drinking water, with limited amounts for irrigation, dust suppression, and vehicle washing. Recycled water is utilized where possible for dust suppression. The largest source of wastewater is leachate collected from active landfill facilities. Landfills work to minimize leachate production through operational best management practices, and dispose of collected leachate at permitted disposal facilities.

303-2 Management of water discharge-related impacts

Wastewater streams delivered to permitted wastewater treatment facilities are sampled and tested in accordance with state or facility-specific permits. Onsite treated flows are managed in accordance with approved NPDES discharge permits.

303-4 Water discharge by quality and destination

123.1 million gallons of landfill leachate was directed to wastewater treatment plants in 2021. 7.5 million gallons of landfill leachate was treated and discharged under NPDES permits. Minimal quantities of sanitary wastewater were treated and discharged through permitted septic systems.

 

305: EMISSIONS, 2016

305-1 Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions

p. 30-33, Scorecard

Scope 1 GHG Emissions: 546,100 MTCO2e

305-2 Energy Indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions

p. 32-35, Scorecard

Scope 2 GHG Emissions: 5,080 MTCO2e

306: WASTE, 2020

306-1 Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts

p. 18-25

The ways in which we manage and mitigate our customers' waste can be found in the Materials Management section of our sustainability report.

306-2 Management of significant waste-related impacts

p. 22-23

The diagram on this page introduces some of the ways we support and advance a circularity measures

307: ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE, 2016

307-1 Noncompliance with environmental laws or regulations

p. 29, Scorecard

Monetary fines in 2021: $1,000. Total non-compliance incidents in 2021: 14.

403: HEALTH & SAFETY, 2018

403-1 Statement of whether a health & safety management system has been implemented

p. 12-13

403-9 Worker-related injuries

p. 12, Scorecard

Total recordable incident rate

404: TRAINING & EDUCATION, 2016

404-1 Average hours of training per year per employee

p. 12-15

Continuous improvement is one of Casella’s six Core Values and the company supports a culture of lifelong learning. Internal training programs are focused on safety, compliance, operations, leadership, technology, and more. The company also supports employees in developing their skills externally, via college courses and professional certifications. Apprentices receive on average 218 hours of skilled job training. In the coming years, the company plans to establish a Learning Management System that will enable more detailed tracking of training hours, while giving employees added agency in advancing their growth and development.

404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs

p. 12-15

Casella’s employee training programs are discussed on page 15 of this report. Our commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program is an important example of transition assistance. Fleet automation makes our operations safer and more efficient, but also reduces our need for helpers. The CDL training program provides a pathway for helpers to transition to new roles as drivers.

404-3 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews

p. 12-15

Annual performance reviews are conducted at all levels of the company, along with ongoing coaching and development. In 2021 and 2022, we have implemented a Performance Management System for 500 Salary employees to set yearly goals and perform Self and Management Evaluations and Development Plans. In 2022, we have purchased a Learning Management System to deliver and track 55 Compliance and DE&I training sessions to 500 end users.

405: DIVERSITY & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, 2016

405-1 Diversity of governance and workforce by age, gender, race

p. 13

413: LOCAL COMMUNITIES, 2016

413-1 Operations with local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs

p. 34-39, Scorecard

100% of our operations have implemented some level of community engagement activity. We have established quantitative targets for employee volunteering and community giving and are continuing to formalize our programs and policies in support of achieving those goals.