By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) collecting and/or hauling nonhazardous solid waste (i.e., garbage) within a local area; (2) operating nonhazardous solid waste transfer stations; and (3) collecting and/or hauling mixed recyclable materials within a local area.
NAICS 562111 obligated $304 million in FY2025 across 3,076 contract actions. DoD is $221 million, but the rest of the list is the most agency-diverse in the waste family: VA at $31 million, Interior at $14 million, HHS at $12 million, DHS at $8 million. Every agency that operates buildings buys refuse and recycling collection, which makes this the waste code with the widest geographic spread of small, locally competed requirements.
What belongs here
Collecting and hauling nonhazardous solid waste within a local area, operating nonhazardous solid waste transfer stations, and collecting mixed recyclables locally.
- Waste streams that are neither nonhazardous solid waste nor hazardous waste, including brush and rubble, are 562119.
- Hazardous waste with treatment or disposal is 562211.
- Collection folded into a broader base or building services scope is often 561210.
Competing in this code
3,076 actions and 279 IDVs at an average under $100,000 makes this one of the genuinely accessible federal service codes. A local hauler with existing routes near a federal facility can compete without national past performance, because the evaluation is about equipment, service frequency, and disposal arrangements rather than program experience. Two practical notes: Service Contract Act wage determinations set your labor floor and should be priced before you bid, and recycling diversion reporting requirements appear in most federal solicitations even when they do not appear in your commercial contracts.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 562111 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 562111?
SBA sets it at $47 million in average annual receipts, averaged over your last five completed fiscal years. Come in at or under that and you are small on every NAICS 562111 solicitation, including the set-asides.
Which agencies buy refuse and recycling collection under NAICS 562111?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($221 million), VA ($31 million), Interior ($14 million), HHS ($12 million), DHS ($8 million). The spread across VA, Interior, HHS, and DHS reflects the simple fact that every agency operating buildings buys collection locally.
Can a local hauler win federal work under NAICS 562111?
Yes, and this is one of the better codes for it. The average FY2025 action was under $100,000 across 3,076 awards nationwide, and evaluation turns on equipment, service frequency, and disposal arrangements, not federal program experience. Existing routes near a federal facility are a genuine competitive advantage.
What federal requirements catch commercial haulers off guard in NAICS 562111?
Service Contract Act wage determinations, which set a labor floor that has to be priced before bidding, and recycling diversion reporting, which appears in most federal solicitations and rarely in commercial contracts. Both are compliance costs that a commercial pricing model will not have absorbed.
Register Under NAICS 562111
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