Investing in the waste removal space is probably not for you if you prefer to exercise a very aggressive growth strategy.These days though, it’s best to play it safe.We’ve all seen the market take us for a wild ride in 2016 so far, so it may be wise to tread the safer path.We have rebounded since the stock market lows in mid-February, but there are many questions about the health of the macroeconomy which continue to linger. 

The oil price rally may not be sustainable, and the excess supply of the commodity could bring oil prices back down.There are also concerns surrounding China’s ability to grow, and a devalued Yuan (China’s currency) has not been enough to offset the country’s lagging export levels.China is very influential on global GDP growth, as the nation accounted for a third of the world’s growth in 2015.With these major worries still lingering, an aggressive growth strategy is probably not the best way for you to experience successful investing in 2016.

What you should eye for is an industry which is less volatile than the market, but also sees a solid growth path ahead for the long run.One such industry is waste removal.It’s not the sexiest industry out there, but it is definitely dependable in terms of seeing steady growth over time.As consumerism continues to grow over the long term, so will the amount of waste which people produce.Someone’s going to have to clean up that mess.Hopefully, the companies who do this can clean up your portfolio as well.

The barrier to entry is relatively high for this consolidated industry, so these companies shouldn’t receive the type of pricing pressure experienced by more competitive industries such as fast food.Below, we outline two great waste removal stocks.You can also count on these companies to give you steady income in the form of dividends.They also have a beta under 1, so you can count on experiencing less volatility than the broader market.

Waste Management Inc-(WM - Analyst Report)

Waste Management provides integrated waste management services in North America and internationally.The company is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has a market cap of $26.25 billion.WM doles out a solid 2.78% dividend.It also experiences much less volatility than your average stocks, as it has a beta of just 0.6.

WM has a VGM (Value, Growth, and Momentum) score of “B”.The VGM is a weighted average of value, growth, and momentum metrics, so it’s assuring to see that WM has a nice overall ranking in our Style Scores.The company has beaten our EPS consensus in each of the last four quarters.It’s worth noting that WM’s EPS is projected to grow by 6.23% this year.

US Ecology Inc-(ECOL - Snapshot Report)

US Ecology provides radioactive, PCB, hazardous, and non-hazardous waste services to commercial and government customers throughout the United States.ECOL stock is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and it also doles out a 1.8% dividend to equity shareholders. 

With a current ratio of 1.8, the company is pretty liquid in the short term.US Ecology gets a “B” in the VGM Score, and it’s worth pointing out that the company has some attractive valuation metrics.Ecology’s beats the industry across two important value metrics, which are price-to-sales and PEG, calculated at 1.55 and 2.15, respectively.The company’s EPS is expected to see considerable growth, with earnings projected to increase by 18.34% this year.

Bottom Line

Companies with less volatility can shelter you from a market that swings back and forth.With these waste management stocks, you get that and more. ECOL and WM also provide investors with solid dividends, which can give shareholders steady returns over the long run.What’s more is the fact that waste removal sees a steady growth path over the long run, and that is very reassuring in a world full of industries that can contract for extended periods of time.