Waste Management Inc. said it has removed more than 15 million tons of material from the waste stream for recycling in 2013, now operates more than 3,500 natural gas vehicles and generates enough landfill gas for 472,000 homes annually, according to its new sustainability report.

“As our customers have become more focused on waste reduction, so have we,” said David Steiner, president and CEO of Houston-based Waste Management, in a news release. “By finding new ways of extracting value from the materials we manage, we’re making advancements toward our long-term business strategy and helping others do the same.”

Waste Management issued its 2014 Sustainability Report titled, “Creating a Circular Economy.” Steiner added, “We believe we can reuse materials in a ‘circular economy’ that operates as a true closed-loop system, where little is wasted.”

The report focuses on the company’s achievements in reducing waste in working with businesses and organizations; increasing recycling, aided by the launch of its “Recycle Often. Recycle Right” campaign to educate consumers; increasing its recycling of organics waste through compost and waste to energy; continued growth in recovery and conversion of landfill gas to energy; and lowering emissions, with its compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and more than 70 natural gas fueling stations.