Veolia’s Rich History of Innovation and Service

Our parent company, Veolia Environnement, was founded at the dawn of the industrial era and the start of urban development. We have a rich history of continuously adapting to the ever-changing environmental needs of our world for more than 150 years. And we are committed to staying a step ahead by researching and developing technologies and innovations to meet society’s needs well into the future. With seven billion people on our planet and counting—half of them living in urban areas—Veolia is dedicated to staying true to our rich heritage of safety, service and environmental stewardship.

Today, the Veolia Environnement family of companies includes Veolia Water, Veolia Environmental Services and Veolia Energy. It is the largest environmental services company in the world, employing 220,000 individuals in countries all across the globe.

Our Origins

The origins of Veolia Environmental Services worldwide date back to the French organization, Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE). In 1953, CGE, which had been created 100 years earlier to supply cities with drinking water, began collecting household waste, and later expanded its capabilities into the hazardous waste sector. CGE’s operations continued to grow worldwide and were gradually consolidated under the Onyx name, which was rebranded to Veolia Environmental Services in 2005.

Veolia Environmental Services Today

Today, Veolia Environmental Services is the only operator with solid, liquid, non-hazardous and hazardous waste capabilities and is the global benchmark for waste management and resource recovery. Veolia Environmental Services has operations in 33 countries with over 64,000 dedicated employees.

Veolia Environmental Services’ presence in North America dates back to the mid 1980s, when the company began operating waste-to-energy facilities in the United States. Today, the company's footprint includes over 120 operating locations and approximately 5,400 employees who provide hazardous and non-hazardous waste and industrial cleaning and maintenance services to the industrial, commercial and governmental sectors.