Stephanie Sidler named 40 Under 40 winner

GFL’s Senior Director - Municipal Services, Stephanie Sidler, was thrilled when she received an email from Waste360 announcing that she was a winner of the 2025 40 Under 40 Awards — especially as she didn’t know she’d been nominated!

Waste360’s 40 Under 40 Awards recognize inspiring and innovative professionals under the age of 40 whose work in waste, recycling, and organics have made a significant contribution to the waste and recycling industry.

Winners will be honored during the awards ceremony on May 6 at WasteExpo in Las Vegas.

“I attend WasteExpo every year because I’m very involved in the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), but it’s the first time I’ve gotten an award so I’m quite excited,” Sidler said.

Sidler is honored to be one of the 40 Under 40 winners invited to take part in the Rising Leaders Talk Trash panel at WasteExpo.

She also serves as Treasurer of the Women’s Council of the NWRA.

As a high school student, Sidler didn’t know what she wanted to do but once she discovered environmental studies, she found her “groove” and has spent her entire 15-year career working in solid waste.

Sidler began her career in the municipal sector where she held a temporary position monitoring and caring for landfills post-closure. That job led to a position as a contract manager overseeing the daily operations of a material recovery facility (MRF).

“I started in the public sector and I haven’t looked back,” Sidler said. “I worked for Durham Region for a little while and then I moved to Vaughan, north of Toronto, Ontario, where I was the solid waste manager at the City of Vaughan until 2016.”

There she gained experience in navigating political environments by developing relations with senior staff and city councils. This led to her transition to the private sector where she was responsible for municipal relations and contract management.

When GFL acquired the company Sidler worked for in 2019, she became responsible for recycling business development, preparing proposals, procuring new contracts, negotiating agreements, and being a liaison between the municipality and GFL.

In September 2023, Sidler became GFL’s Senior Director - Municipal Services. In this role, she is responsible for standardizing and centralizing GFL’s municipal services.

When asked what she’s most proud of accomplishing, a couple of things immediately come to her mind.

“I'm definitely most proud of the people I've been able to guide through the industry, helping them understand what this industry means and what opportunities are available,” Sidler said.

She is also proud of the Winnipeg MRF, a project that she was involved in from the ground up from bidding through building and operational launch. She’s quick to point out that the accomplishment took a team effort and she’s gratified to see the MRF in operation today.

When she’s not working or volunteering her time in the waste industry, Sidler loves to spend time with her friends and family. Her favorite hobby is golf which she began playing during the pandemic. She loves being outdoors and exploring new places when traveling on business.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

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