"Back to the Future" Technology Comes to Life

By Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy – Jul 1, 2013 at 10:15AM

NYSE: WM

Waste Management

Market Cap

$85B

Today's Change

(0.31%) $0.65

Current Price

$211.08

Price as of April 25, 2024, 1:38 p.m. ET

It may not be the tech you were hoping for, but it still might make you say "Great Scott!"

There are a lot of technologies from the "Back to the Future" movies that we all wish we could have: flying Delorians, clothes that adjust exactly to your size, and who didn't want a hover board as a teenager?

So maybe we're still a few years away from those technological developments, but there is one technology from the "Back to the Future" movies that is starting to take off: trash for fuel. It may not be the Mr. Fusion device, but several companies are putting trash to work and creating natural gas. Both Waste Management (WM 0.31%) and Republic Services (RSG 0.58%) have been pioneering this idea for the last several years, and now it looks as though it's starting to catch on. Tune into the video below as Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy discuss this futuristic technology and what it means for companies and investors.

Fool contributor Aimee Duffy has no position in any stocks mentioned. Fool contributor Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow them both on Twitter @TMFDuffy and @TylerCroweFool, respectively.

The Motley Fool recommends Clean Energy Fuels, Republic Services, and Waste Management. The Motley Fool owns shares of Waste Management. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.