Investopedia: Casella Waste - Even The Environmental Sector Has Challenges

Perhaps one of the more interesting lessons of the recession and this sluggish recovery has been the deconstruction of the idea of "safe" industries where investors can take refuge in bad times. Food companies have been squeezed by input-cost inflation, healthcare companies have seen patients disappear, and the environmental sector, too, has seen business deteriorate more than many would have guessed.

As a small regional player, Casella Waste Systems (Nasdaq:CWST) has a host of challenges. The company does not have the sort of scale that benefits giants like Waste Management (NYSE:WM) or Republic Services (NYSE:RSG), and its balance sheet probably precludes a lot of expansion on its own. Though there could certainly be some long-term value here, this isn't an especially safe place to wait out the market's turbulence.
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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Casella-Waste--Even-The-Environmental-Sector-Has-Challenges-CWST-WM-RSG-BIN-WCN-CLH-SRCL0831.aspx